Wage Issues

Federal and state wage and hour laws provide basic minimum standards that employers must follow with regard to wages. These laws cover what counts as work time, when you should be paid, rest and meal breaks, tips, and overtime wages. Unfortunately, not all employers in Michigan understand these laws, and some do not abide by wage and hour laws. If you are concerned that there are violations at your job, you should consult the Grand Rapids and Traverse City wage and hour attorneys at Neumann Law Group. You may be able to recover the compensation to which you are entitled with the assistance of our employment lawyers.

The Fair Labor Standards Act is the federal law that establishes rules for minimum wage, overtime pay, minors in the workplace, and recordkeeping for private employers and governmental employers. The minimum wage under federal law is currently $7.25 per hour, and overtime pay is 1 1/2 times the regular rate after an employee works for 40 hours in a single workweek. However, employers in states that have a higher minimum wage need to pay the minimum wage that is more generous, and Michigan is one of those states.

In Michigan, the minimum wage as of January 2017 is $8.90 per hour, and there will be an increase in 2018 that will make the minimum wage $9.25. The rules are a bit different for tipped employees, such as servers or bartenders. Employers may pay these workers just 38% of the minimum wage in Michigan as long as the employee's tips combined with what the employer pays make the total hourly wage meet the state minimum wage.

Failing to pay overtime when it is required is one of the most common wage violations in Michigan and across the country. Whether your employer must pay overtime depends partly on your job description. Exempt workers—those who are not covered by overtime laws—typically include executives, professionals, certain administrative employees, outside sales people, and certain IT workers, depending on what they actually do as their jobs. Overtime is supposed to be paid to most nonexempt workers who work more than 40 hours in a week. Our wage and hour lawyers can help Traverse City and Grand Rapids workers bring claims based on violations of these laws.

Under Michigan law, your employer is not required to give you a lunch or rest break. If you actually work during a break, however, you are entitled to be paid for it. You are also entitled to be paid for brief work breaks that are part of your workday and are for less than 20 minutes.

Employees whose employers have violated applicable federal or Michigan wage laws are entitled to collect penalties in addition to wages that were not paid if they successfully establish their claims. For example, you may request liquidated damages in the total amount of unpaid wages if your employer violates the state minimum wage law, in addition to the unpaid wages.

All employees in Michigan are entitled to be paid a fair wage. Wage and hour laws may be complicated, and it is wise to consult a Traverse City or Grand Rapids wage and hour lawyer about your claim to make sure that you assert your rights to the fullest extent. If you are concerned about wage issues, we may be able to assist you. Our firm also represents people in Ann Arbor, Flint, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Detroit, Wyoming, Saginaw, Muskegon, Midland, Holland, Warren, and Petoskey, as well as areas throughout the Upper Peninsula. Contact Neumann Law Group at 800-525-NEUMANN or via our online form to set up an appointment. We also assist people who need a sexual harassment lawyer or guidance with other employment claims.