Wages – Don’t Wait Too Long To Get Paid Or They Could Be Gone Forever!
We work to get paid – either wages, salary, commission, or a draw. Unfortunately, I have seen too many employees come into my office to try and recover the wages they earned but were not paid for one reason or another. Whether out of loyalty, fear of losing their jobs, or some other reason(s), employees continue working for months while their employer is behind in paying wages. Eventually, these unpaid wages add up over time – and when you need them most, your employer can’t afford to pay you. What started out as your employer being $50.00 behind one week and $150.00 the next week adds up quickly to employees being owed thousands of dollars.
This situation usually ends up badly, with either your employer going out of business (hint, hint, not enough money to pay you over and over), or you having to resort to contacting a wage lawyer to help recover your money. Neither of these are “perfect” scenarios. The preferable way to handle things is to be on top of your employer to pay your wages promptly. If your employer can’t pay you promptly for the wages you earned, then your unpaid wages are going to add up quickly, and you probably don’t want to stay with that employer too long. Eventually, you are going to lose out on getting your wages altogether – which means that you will have worked hard for free!
Don’t wait to get paid. Don’t let your employer get too far behind. In Miami, you can refer your employer to the recently-enacted Miami-Dade Wage Theft Ordinance, found at Chapter 22 of the Miami-Dade County Code. This provision seeks to deter employers from withholding wages and had penalties for doing so.
You probably worked hard for your wages and are proud of your work. You work to get paid, and not for fun. So, there is no reason why you can’t speak up to your employer and find out why you haven’t gotten paid. If you cannot get a definite date to get paid, or if your employer misses the date promised, then you want to start looking for another job. You are entitled to get paid your agreed-upon wages you earn. If you worked overtime, you are entitled to receive overtime wages timely as well.
A repeated problem with not getting paid timely is a repeating signal – like a flashing yellow traffic light – that you need to proceed with this employer with caution…
and get another job.
