Do you work from home but don’t receive overtime? Learn your rights!

Contrary to what many people think, working from home is really not that much easier than working at an office or actual place of employment.

Sure, you may have the perk of being able to complete your tasks in the comfort of your own home, but you are still doing work. In fact, some employees find it harder to stay motivated at home when there are so many other things to do, such as perform household tasks, watch TV, or play with the kids.

And even though you may not have a traditional work environment, it does not mean that you are not entitled to overtime pay for the hours over 40 that you work in a week.

In most cases, employers feel that their employees should not receive time and a half because they work outside of the office. The Houston, Texas fair overtime lawyers in our office have helped many home workers obtain the overtime pay that they deserve.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, you are entitled to an hourly minimum wage as well as pay at time and a half unless you are part of certain exemptions, like the creative professional exemption, the executive exemption, or the administrative exemption. For the most part, none of these exemptions apply to home workers, unless they meet specific criteria, one of which is making at least $455 per week. To make sure that you are receiving fair overtime wages in Houston, check out the other articles on our website for more information on these criteria.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, some of the most common jobs that home workers hold include:

• Sewing or other manufacturing from home;

• Data processing;

• Performing telephone surveys;

• Tying fishing flies;

• Bookkeeping.

The Fair Labor Standards Act has strict guidelines for the time "on the job" that is related to work. For example, an employee is still "working" and entitled to pay for the time that he or she spends cleaning up after working, preparing materials, and traveling to or from the company to pick up or drop off work. If the person arrives at the designated set time to pick up work and is forced to wait at the place of employment, the individual is still "on the clock" during that waiting period.

If you work from home but still are not receiving overtime pay, it is imperative that you contact the lawyers who dedicate their practice to fair overtime in Houston, Texas. The lawyers at Kennedy Hodges can provide you with a free copy of Ten Biggest Mistakes that Can Hurt Your Wage and Overtime Claim. Just call 888.449.2068 today. We also can provide you with a complete case evaluation - for free - to make sure that your paychecks are what they should be. Simply tell us your situation by filling out this online form.