Utah Unpaid Wages and Overtime
There are certain laws in place in Utah that govern the payment of overtime wages to Utah employees, and provide civil remedies for employees who are owed back pay by their employers. If you believe you may be entitled to back pay for overtime hours, or if you haven’t been paid your final wages after resigning or being fired from employment, contact a reputable Utah unpaid wages attorney today to discuss your legal options. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your unpaid wages, liquidated damages, attorney’s fees and other penalties, which you can pursue by filing an unpaid wages claim against your employer in court.
Utah Overtime Requirements
The state of Utah does not have its own laws governing the payment of overtime wages, which means federal overtime laws apply. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), there are no limits to the number of hours an employer can require an employee to work in a single workday or workweek. However, nonexempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a single workweek are entitled to an overtime rate of one-and-one-half-times their regular rate of pay for every hour worked over 40. There is no overtime requirement in Utah for employees who work more than eight hours in a single workday, or who work on the weekend or a holiday. The FLSA has certain overtime exemptions in place, which exclude certain job categories from federal overtime requirements, including the following:
- Executive employees
- Learned professional employees
- Creative professional employees
- Administrative employees
- Outside sales employees
- Certain computer employees (computer systems analyst, computer programmer, software engineer)
- Highly compensated employees
Filing an Unpaid Wages Claim in Utah
There are certain procedures in place in circumstances where a Utah employer fails to pay an employee the wages he is owed, and state and federal law provides civil remedies for employees who are owed back pay by their employer. In most cases, if a Utah worker’s employment contract is terminated by the employer, final wages are due immediately and must be paid within 24 hours of the termination. If the employee demands, in writing, that the final wages be paid within 24 hours, and the employer fails to do so, the employee will continue to collect wages until the final wages are paid, for a period of up to 60 days. If the employee does not have a written employment contract for a specified period of time, and resigns from his position, the wages become due and payable on the next regular payday, whenever that payday is scheduled. If the employer does not pay the employee the wages he is owed, the employee may file a wage claim against the employer with the Utah Labor Commission, or contact an attorney to bring an unpaid wages claim against the employer in court.
A Knowledgeable Utah Unpaid Wages Lawyer Can Help
Despite strict state and federal regulations governing the payment of minimum wage and overtime wages to employees in Utah, failure to pay the overtime premium is one of the most common wage violations by employers. If you are an employee in Utah and your employer owes you unpaid wages, you may have grounds to file a claim against your employer for lost wages, plus liquidated damages equal to the amount of unpaid wages, punitive damages and other penalties for wage violations. Contact an experienced Utah employment law attorney today to discuss your options for legal recourse.
