Keep Detailed Records To Prevail

Maintain a Written Journal of Your Experience

A Written Journal of Your Experience: Lets face it, memories fail and deteriorate over time. Other employees and coworkers can leave a company and be hard to locate. Keeping a written journal is almost mandatory. Such a journal where you should record times and dates when you worked specific hours, overtime, etc., will help you to preserve your memory and document the exact times and dates of hours not paid or under paid for.

Evidence of Hours Worked but NOT Compensated: If you have copies of actual documents (time cards, schedules, notes, “stickys,” your personal hours “notes,” etc.) that show that you worked more time than paid for, or worked over time it’s important to bring them with you to your initial or subsequent meeting with me. If these documents,  calendars, time records or reports are in your workplace clearly visible but you are unable to get copies of them – taking a clear picture of them would be useful. The better the picture the stronger our case.  Today’s common iPhones often have a respectably-capable camera – so capable that many police officers use their camera phones to collect field evidence.

Collect & Organize All of your Employee Pay Stubs

Your actual Pay Stubs: Collect and bring all the Pay Stubs from any check that you have received.

Build and Update a Witnesses List

Witnesses List: It is also important to maintain a list of people who may have been witness to you working for hours not recorded or paid for; also overtime situations. Witnesses are very helpful for bolstering a case.

Obtain a Copy of Your Personnel File

Personnel File: Your employment record is an important document.  If you are unable to obtain a copy of your personnel file, I can request one from your employer on your behalf.

Secure a Copy of your Company’s Employee Handbook

Employee Handbook: Depending upon the size of your employer, you may or may not have an employee handbook available. If one is available you should secure a copy and bring it for my review. Larger companies will publish company policies, information about pay, working hours, breaks, overtime, and procedures for bringing grievances. The courts do not view employee handbooks as contracts between you and the company but they will tend to hold companies accountable for violations of their own stated policies which can only bolster our case.