Electricians Entitled to Overtime Pay and Minimum Wage Under FLSA

Electricians work hard to learn their trade and eventually become journeymen. The large amount of time spent as apprentices-observing others who are masters at the craft in and outside of the classroom-is just one of the reasons why electricians should be entitled minimum wage pay.

Luckily, electricians are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, which guarantees an electrician's right to be paid a fair minimum wage for hours worked. The FLSA mandate also ensures that the electrician had the right to one and a half time their normal hourly rate for hours worked over 40 in one week - also known as overtime pay.

According to the FLSA, exemptions do not apply to workers who perform repetitive operations with their hands, physical skill, and energy, which also include the work performed by electricians.

The FLSA refers to these types of workers as "blue-collar" workers, and also include those in the fields of production, carpentry, mechanics, plumbing, construction, and iron working. The Act also covers operating engineers, laborers, construction workers, and longshoremen.

The reason behind the non-exemption is that these types of "blue-collar" workers obtain the knowledge they need to perform through apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and routine manual and physical work.

So what is an electrician who is not receiving fair overtime supposed to do? What if his employer threatens to fire him or cut his hours?

The best thing for any blue-collar worker in this position to do is to contact an experienced Houston overtime lawyer immediately. An attorney who is practiced in the rules of the Fair Labor Standards Act can help address an electrician's questions like:

• Am I going to lose my job for insisting on overtime pay?
• What if my boss pays me overtime only a portion of the time?
• If I didn't keep track of my overtime hours, am I still entitled to them?
• I can't afford to lose this job - what if my boss fires me for asking for overtime pay?

A good overtime lawyer will sit down with the worker and make sure that he or she completely understands their rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and then proceed to provide options for remedying the situation.

The Texas fair overtime attorneys at Kennedy Hodges, LLP will go even further by not only providing this consultation for free, but by also providing a free copy of the Ten Biggest Mistakes that Can Hurt Your Wage and Overtime Claim. Call them today at 888.449.2068, or fill out our online form to schedule your free case evaluation.