Bloomington Employment Lawyers
When your employer unlawfully withholds your wages, you need an advocate who understands employment law and is experienced in defending employees' rights. At USA Employment Lawyers, we are committed to meeting these legal needs with both skill and dedication. Our focus is on representing groups of workers who have experienced wage theft or had their biometric information illegally collected by their employers. Our experienced attorneys work tirelessly to protect employees’ rights in Bloomington and surrounding areas. We are dedicated to seeking justice for workers and holding employers accountable for their actions. Over the years, we have assisted thousands of hard-working individuals in recovering millions of dollars.
You can set up a free case evaluation with our Bloomington employment lawyers by calling (800) 483-0998 today.
Wage and Hour Issues
At USA Employment Lawyers, our team assists workers in addressing illegal practices such as unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, and misclassification as independent contractors or exempt employees. We have extensive knowledge of both the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state wage laws. With our legal experience and your cooperation, we can identify violations, conduct thorough investigations, and gather evidence to build a compelling case against your employer. You deserve the wages you have earned, and we are committed to helping you recover what is rightfully yours.
Our legal team has experience representing groups of individuals affected by the same unlawful policies and practices. When a federal wage policy is violated, it harms multiple employees. Together, the workers can file a collective action lawsuit. When a state wage policy is violated and it harms multiple employees, a class action lawsuit can be filed.
Our Bloomington employment lawyers can work to halt widespread wage violations and hold companies accountable for their illegal practices. Often, employees may sense something is wrong but are unaware of how their employer may be cheating them. USA Employment Lawyers helps workers understand their rights, uncover wage theft, and expose exploitation. We have spent years earning our clients' trust to restore fairness and balance in the workplace.
Overtime Wages
When it comes to helping employees assert their rights when employers fail to pay proper overtime wages, you couldn’t have a better friend in the fight than USA Employment Lawyers. In Illinois and across the United States, employers are legally obligated to pay 1.5 times the hourly wage for work performed beyond the standard 40-hour workweek. Our experience in federal and state wage laws helps our legal team promptly identify violations of overtime regulations. We assist our clients in recovering unpaid overtime wages, holding employers accountable, and ensuring compliance with the law.
Employers can cheat their employees in numerous ways. Many companies incorrectly classify their workforce as salaried employees or independent contractors to avoid paying overtime wages. In other cases, employers might require you to work off-the-clock so that your time records do not reflect hours worked over 40 in a week. These off-the-clock hours can quickly accumulate, especially when affecting hundreds of workers, leading to significant unpaid overtime wages. Employers also frequently miscalculate overtime rates, resulting in underpayment for the overtime hours worked. Such practices may deprive you and your colleagues of thousands of dollars.
When employers refuse to correct their policies, our team is prepared to take even the most challenging cases to trial. We have successfully helped thousands of employees reclaim unpaid wages and have compelled many employers to comply with the law.
Tipped Employees
Employers in the restaurant industry frequently exploit their workforce by improperly compensating tipped employees. In certain circumstances, an employer can pay a tipped employee a reduced minimum wage below the prevailing state and federal minimum wage. However, this is only permissible if the employer provides the employee with specific notice of its intent to rely on a tip credit. This notice must include detailed information and be provided before taking the tip credit. Many employers fail to deliver this notice adequately, and when this happens, the tipped employee must be paid the full minimum wage.
Even when proper notice of the tip credit is given, many restaurants require servers and bartenders to spend more than 30 continuous minutes performing non-tipped side work. This often occurs when staff must arrive more than 30 minutes before the restaurant opens to the public. If servers or bartenders spend over 30 continuous minutes on non-tipped tasks such as cleaning and prep work, they must be compensated at the full minimum wage.
Additionally, many restaurants run unlawful tip pools. For instance, requiring servers or bartenders to share any portion of their tips with managers or supervisors violates the law, regardless of whether a tip credit is being taken. If a restaurant demands employees to surrender portions of their tips for “dine and dash” incidents, broken dishes, cash register shortages, or uniforms, it also constitutes a legal violation. In such cases, the employer cannot apply a tip credit and must pay all affected tipped employees the full minimum wage.
Restaurants also exploit servers and bartenders when they work overtime. When a tipped employee works more than 40 hours in a workweek, the employer must pay them 1.5 times the full applicable minimum wage. If a tip credit applies, the same credit can then be deducted from the overtime rate. However, many employers pay tipped employees 1.5 times the reduced hourly wage, thereby violating the law and taking a larger tip credit than permitted, depriving employees of their rightful wages.
Biometric (BIPA) Privacy
Biometric privacy involves protecting employees' unique biological characteristic information, such as fingerprints, facial recognition data, iris scans, and voiceprints. Employers may unlawfully collect this biometric information in several ways. For example, they might require you to scan your finger on a timekeeping device when clocking in and out or use facial scanning devices to track work hours. Regardless of the method or reason for collection, employers are legally required to provide specific notice and obtain your written consent before collecting such data. If your biometric information has been collected without prior written consent, or if your employer has not informed you about how they will use, store, and eventually destroy this information, you may be entitled to recover up to $5,000.00 for each willful or intentional violation of the law. As privacy laws evolve with technological advancements, our experienced attorneys remain vigilant and dedicated to protecting clients' rights.
At USA Employment Lawyers, we are dedicated to securing the wages clients deserve under the law. Our Bloomington employment lawyers are prepared to address misclassification, minimum wage, overtime, illegal tip pooling, and biometric data issues to help employees collect what they are owed.
If you are facing employment issues in Bloomington or a nearby area, our attorneys are here to help. To set up a free case evaluation, contact us online right away.
Words From Our Former Clients
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“Excellent Customer Service, Communication & Professionalism”
“They helped me get the money for overtime hours not paid by my former employer. They made me feel validated in my claim and in winning me my money owed plus damages.”- Mallela L. -
“I highly recommend!!!”
“These are one of the best lawyers in South Florida they will help you from beginning to end!”- Jeffery B. -
“The Best”
“I had a problem with a former employer and was seeking help from a law office. The office of USA Employment Lawyers did a great job.”- Norman C. -
“Professional, Smart, and Amazing”
“They far exceeded what any other lawyer could do for me and for that I am forever thankful.”- Karen B. -
“Great firm. Great attorneys.”
- Don SabiGreat firm. Great attorneys. You guys are the best. I highly recommend USA Employment Lawyers. They will handle your case efficiently and effectively by keeping in constant contact with you and handling your legal matters with your best interest in mind. Thank you for all your help. Keep up the great work. The world needs more attorneys like all of you.
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“My Number One Lawyer”
“I had issues with wages I was referred to USA employment lawyers.”- Sydni S. -
“Handled My Case With Care”
“They handled my case with such care & settled my case faster than I've ever imagined!”- Skye V.