Clients often call my office with more than one problem. My employee clients will at first talk about how they did not get paid overtime wages and then discuss some other problem where they used to work. The second problem usually involves either some type of illegal discrimination (like pregnancy, age, race, or national origin), a violation of the Family Medical Leave Act, or a retaliation/whistleblower claim. And, in many cases, my clients will have already lodged a complaint with the EEOC (when applicable).
When I reach out to an employer to try and resolve an unpaid/underpaid wage claim, the employer also wants to resolve the discrimination, FMLA, or retaliation/whistleblower claim(s) as well. So, the unpaid wage claim – regardless of whether it is more or less valuable than the discrimination/FMLA/retaliation/whistleblower claim – serves as the catalyst for the employer to settle all of the claims at once. This desire to resolve all claims stems from them employer wanting to get more than a partial settlement (of only the unpaid/underpaid wage claims) but to get a general release to settle all claims.
The prospect of being able to settle all claims at the same time is usually good for both the employer and the (former) employee. For the employer, it was able to get a definite result without having to pay attorneys’ fees to defend itself. For my clients, the employees, they are usually able to get a swift recovery – which can help those who are in between jobs.
To discuss an unpaid wage or other labor / employment claim, feel free to contact me at the FairLaw Firm.
