Columbus OH Wage Law Attorney You Can Trust

Our law firm can fight for your rights

You work hard and you deserve to be paid fairly for your work. We understand that most workers want to be team players and to put their best foot forward for advancement; however, an employer is not permitted to take advantage of your work ethic in order to skirt the law.

The complexity of law and workplace dynamics are among the reasons why wage and hour violations can be so frustrating. And while knowing what to do can be confusing, we’re here to help you. Our experienced Columbus wage attorney understands the law and empathizes with the realities of having a job, keeping that job, and providing for your loved ones and families. That’s why we want to meet with you.

At Nilges Draher LLC in Columbus, our legal team has been helping people just like you successfully demand the financial compensation they deserve for the hours they worked. Our case results speak for themselves – more than $50 million recovered for Columbus workers and other employees across the country.

Nilges Draher LLC
34 N High St #502
Columbus, OH 43215
614-824-5770

You only have a limited amount of time to take legal action in Ohio if you believe you were not paid at the lawful minimum wage for each hour worked, or not paid for all overtime earned. The applicable statutes of limitations (that is, the deadline to file a lawsuit or join an existing collective action) can vary depending on the violation and location of work performed. Accordingly, as with any legal concern, you should promptly act.

Common wage and hour violations

Employers in Columbus who violate state or federal wage laws need to be held accountable for their actions. We have extensive experience handling a wide range of wage and hour violation cases in Columbus and throughout Ohio, including:

Not being paid minimum wage for each hour worked. Ohio’s minimum wage is currently $10.10 per hour.
Unpaid overtime.
Overtime paid at a lower rate; for example, when certain bonuses or shift-differentials are not included into the overtime calculation.
Not being paid for hours worked, which then result in minimum wage or overtime violations.
Employees being misclassified as non-exempt or as an independent contractor.
Unlawful tip-pooling schemes; for example, letting management share tips.
Requiring employees to clock out for lunch, but then having the employee perform work tasks during the unpaid lunch.
Requiring employees to perform work before they clock in or after they clock out, resulting in unpaid work. Such work includes donning and doffing protective or sanitary clothing/equipment, hand washing, or line/machine prep, to name a few common instances.

You deserve to be paid at least the minimum wage for each and every hour worked, and to be paid not less than one and one-half times your regular rate for hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek. Your wages should be yours, and no one else’s; you should not be required to share your tips with supervisors or managers who typically do not help generate those tips. You should not be required to clock out for lunch, yet continue answering phones or doing other work. You shouldn’t have to perform compensable work before you clock in or after you clock out.

If the employer wants you to work or even lets you work, you should be paid. Plus, employers who do not abide by the minimum and overtime requirements unlawfully obtain an economic advantage over competing companies that do follow the law, so your sacrifices for the employer potentially have effects that reach farther than a lower level manager’s opinion of you.

Whatever the circumstances of your case, contact our law firm right away. Our Columbus legal team wants to help you get the money you deserve.

The deck is stacked against employees – but we can help

The U.S. Department of Labor, Division of Wages and Hours investigates these types of claims; so does the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Labor and Worker Safety. As a result, you might wonder why you even a need a lawyer if your employer didn’t pay you.

One reason is that these agencies are often overworked and understaffed. Other times, they are underfunded. Sometimes they simply aren’t as motivated to advance workers’ rights, especially depending on composition of leadership.

Furthermore, these cases often turn out to be extremely complicated, and chances are, your employer already has an attorney. That attorney may be engaged to defend your claim for unpaid wages, or it might be the attorney who helped engineer the scheme that resulted in you and your co-workers getting underpaid. Sometimes these schemes are lawful and sometimes they’re not, but the dollars missing from your paycheck significantly impact you and your family.

Moreover, the employer’s attorney or team of attorneys could be expected to do everything they can to discredit you and your claim. Sometimes they even try to obtain irrelevant, and sometimes very personal, information during discovery. They might even threaten you with legal action against you for issues that weren’t even on their radar until you demanded the lawful payment for the work you performed. So, we think you should have an attorney as well.

We level the playing field and put your best interests first

We can help you level the playing field. We also make sure your case receives the attention it rightfully deserves. Sometimes, claims get lost amid the sea of complaints that state and federal agencies receive each year.

And if you’re not the only employee dealing with the same issue at your company, our Columbus wage and hour attorneys can represent all of you in a class and/or collective action lawsuit. Your rights matter at our law firm. That’s why we’re eager to meet with you. Schedule your free case evaluation today with a member of a legal team that cares. We’re on your side.