Receiving fair wages as a temporary Houston assembly line worker?
If you are employed by a staffing agency, you are most likely used to only working at a certain location for a few weeks or months at a time.
It is not uncommon for large factories to enlist the help of staffing agencies to fill spots within the company when a large job increases production. Assembly line positions are often filled with temporary workers who accept a contract to work for a specified amount of time or for as long as the factory needs them.
While the line workers show up at the plant each day, they are actually employed by the staffing agency instead of the factory itself. This means that the temporary worker receives his or her paychecks from the agency, and that the agency is responsible for keeping track of the worker’s time. The factory may require the worker to clock in and out to best keep track of his or her hours, but ultimately it is up to the agency to ensure that the worker is treated fairly.
One of the major aspects of fair treatment is making sure that the worker is entitled to all benefits allowed under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This means that the worker must be paid an amount that is greater than or equal to the current federal minimum wage of $7.75 per hour, and that all hours worked over 40 in one week are paid at a rate of one and a half times the worker’s regular hourly wage.
Still, there are common problems faced by Houston temporary workers that happen all the time – problems that affect their paychecks and have the potential to result in hundreds or even thousands of dollars in lost pay each year, especially to assembly line workers.
Let’s take a look at some of the problems that the Houston overtime attorneys in our office see on a regular basis:
The staffing agency doesn’t keep proper track of the right workers.
The factory fails to adequately report the worker’s hours. Shorting hours is one way that many employers – either primary or secondary – try to save money. Misreporting hours here and there may not be immediately noticed by the employee, but can end up costing the worker a lot of money.
The factory requires the assembly line worker to perform their duties during lunch or during regular scheduled breaks. Workers are entitled to be paid for all work they perform, even if it is during what is supposed to be down time.
The worker is forced to clock in after they have started working or continue working even after they have clocked out. Again, workers are entitled to be paid for all work even if they have already punched in or out.
Even though work can be hard to come by in this tough economy, our Houston overtime attorneys urge all workers – temporary and permanent – to learn their rights under the FLSA and obtain the compensation that they deserve. If you feel like you are treated unfairly by a Houston employer, call Kennedy Hodges immediately. The call is free, the consultation is free, and we will even provide you with a free book, Ten Biggest Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Wage and Overtime Wage Claim. Dial 888.449.2068 or fill out our online form to schedule your appointment today
