Massachusetts employers are required by law to pay workers for all hours completed. Under these laws, the employer must create a method of recording these hours. This may include written time sheets, time clocks, or electronic programs used to record hours. Labor law attorneys in Northampton, MA represent workers who aren’t receiving their full wages.
Identifying Applicable Laws
The Wage and Hour Board enforces labor laws that apply to wages. Under these laws, employers cannot alter records that reflect the total hours worked by any employee. These practices are unethical and could lead to unlawful activities.
The employer is required to submit accurate time sheets for each worker to the company owner. This includes all overtime hours completed by each employee. It is these records that determine the full value of the worker’s paycheck.
Why Do Employers Modify These Records
In industries such as retail, the managers must balance labor hours among their workers. Under company guidelines, they are rewarded for reducing overtime wages and preventing additional overhead. Managers of retail stores are more likely to receive higher bonuses annually by reducing these costs. Unfortunately, this may indicate that the manager eliminates hours on time sheets when after the employee has completed the hours.
Reviewing Vacation and Sick Time
Another unethical practice is recording vacation wages and sick time in employee financial records. Most companies provide a certain number of hours for sick leave each month. Over time these hours accumulate to weeks or months. Unethical managers may reduce these figures to prevent workers from using this time.
These same managers may reduce the workers vacation pay to adjust expenditures for the month. This allows the managers to earn larger bonuses. To determine if they are victims of these unethical practices, workers should review their pay stubs.
Massachusetts workers are protected under employment laws. These laws prevent managers and supervisors from withholding employee’s wages. This includes the reduction of hours to prevent overtime expenses. These unethical practices benefit employers by allowing them to gain bonuses. Unfortunately, this prevents workers from receiving the wages they worked to acquire. Workers who are victims of these practices should hire labor law attorneys in Northampton, MA by visiting us website today.
