April 16, 2021
Are you working in the United States and want to learn more about your rights? Here we share information about your right to receive a fair salary
The Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor is responsible for ensuring that working people are paid correctly according to all the hours they work.
Working people have the right to receive a fair wage for all hours worked, that is, all the time that employees are available or present in the workplace. Training time and transfers from one job site to another must normally be paid for during the day. Most working people are entitled to at least the federal minimum wage of $ 7.25 per hour worked, regardless of whether they are paid by the hour, by the day, or by the piece. Don't forget that some state laws offer a higher minimum wage than the federal minimum wage.
Your employer must keep a record of all wages paid and all hours worked, regardless of where you are working. Even so, each working person could have their own records, name, address, phone numbers of their employer and of their hours worked. Here you can access a free application that is compatible with iPhone to record your working hours, or a calendar of hours to print to record arrival and departure times from your workplace.
Remember!
Federal Law prohibits the hiring of minors under the age of 14 in non-agricultural jobs, restricts the hours and types of work that minors under 16 can perform, and prohibits the hiring of minors under 18 years of age in any dangerous occupation.
In many cases, you have to be paid an additional 50% for overtime after 40 hours of work in a week. This requirement does not apply to agricultural jobs and certain other types of work.
Keep learning about your labor rights and share the information with your colleagues. Together we can demand justice!
If you have any doubts or questions, contact the Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc. (CDM). We can help you. Call us through the toll-free line, from Mexico at: 800 590 1773, from the United States at: 1-855-234 -9699, or contact the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor at: 1-866-487-9243.
Image: Flickr/Camila Gómez, 2015/Vía Flickr.com