Understanding wage and hour laws
In today's world 'an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work' is harder to find. Wage and hour laws exist to protect workers from employers who take advantage of their employees and violate the law. Laws exists to ensure that employers treat their workers fairly.
Wage and hour violations may occur against individual workers or against a group or class of workers. Employers violate of wage and hour laws when they fail pay required wages, fail to pay overtime, require workers to work 'off-the-clock', or fail to pay tips earned by their employees.
Representing individual and multi-party claims
Donahoo & Associates, PC has represented hundreds of workers in wage and hour disputes. We represent all types of workers in all types of industries including construction workers, state and county workers, retail associates, service professionals and many others. Many cases are brought as individual cases on behalf of individual workers. Others are brought as class action or collective action seeking to enforce wage and hour laws in favor of a group or class of employees.
Prevailing wages & public works projects
California’s Prevailing Wage Law governs the wages paid on construction projects financed in whole or in part by public funds. These are known as “public works” projects. The overall purpose of the Prevailing Wage Law is to protect and benefit employees on public works projects. “Public works” includes “construction, alteration, demolition or repair work done under contract and paid for in whole or in part out of public funds...”
All workers employed on public works projects must be paid not less than the prevailing wage rate.
The prevailing wage rates are published by the State of California's Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and can be found on the DIR’s website athttps://www.dir.ca.gov/dlsr/PWD/index.htm
It is the public policy of California to vigorously enforce the Prevailing Wage Law in order to ensure employees are not required or permitted to work under substandard unlawful conditions and to protect employers who comply with the law from those who attempt to gain competitive advantage at the expense of their workers by failing to pay prevailing wages.
We are experts in prevailing wage
All too often contractors on public works projects violate wage and hour laws by not paying the required prevailing wage rate. Many contractors do not properly classify their employees in proper prevailing wage classifications or short their workers required straight time and overtime pay.
Failing to pay the required prevailing wage rate violates the law. Donahoo & Associates, PC has the experience and expertise to represent employees who have been cheated on public works. We have recovered millions of dollars for Laborers, Operating Engineers, Carpenters, Electricians, Plumbers, Inspectors and other types of workers employed on public works throughout California.
Record your hours on prevailing wage jobs
It is extremely important to keep a record of your daily work times. Many prevailing wage claims benefit from this personal record of daily hours and work performed. Be sure to include any travel time, meal and rest breaks, hours worked, and work performed so it is easier to calculate overall compensation. Get our trial-tested tips on the best ways to record your hours.
Experienced employment law attorneys fighting for you
If you suspect you have not been paid the wage you are entitled to, we are here to help. You should seek legal advice regarding your employment rights, and contact Donahoo & Associates, PC today.
