Bosses continue to actively and deceptively trick employees, paycheck after paycheck, to pay less salary. Companies such as Walmart and McDonald’s have been caught systematically finding ways to shortchange from worker’s checks. This is called wage theft, and there are numerous means and methods to pay you less than you deserve. It might have happened right under your nose or even without your consent. The HR Digest is here to show you the dirty tricks employers use to pay less salary.
Unpaid internships
By law, internships are supposed to be beneficial to the intern. If you are benefitting the company in any way, you’re entitled to compensation.
Employee misclassification
If you signed an independent contractor agreement, your company cannot control the time, place and manner of your work. Moreover, it can’t forbid you from working for other companies, hiring your own assistants, and expect you to answer to let them set your hours. By doing so, the company is taking your share of employment taxes and not paying you more than your overtime.
Non-exempt duties
If your coding job also requires you to be the receptionist, you’re entitled to overtime pay for the non-exempt duties.
On-call time
If your company expects you to return calls within a short time, or if the calls come in every fifteen minutes after work hours, you’re entitled to be paid for your time on-call.
Off-the clock duties
If your employer requires you to arrive at the workplace minutes before clocking in to do prep work, take mandatory training before and after-work hours, you’re entitled to be paid for the time you are mandated to be present at work.
Work from home
If your employer expects you to respond to calls, emails, or work from home after you leave, you can charge for the time you spent working.
Skip lunch breaks
This is a serious problem if your employer keeps forcing you to skip lunch break to get work done.
Denial of leave
At your workplace, calling in sick is forbidden, and you aren’t entitled to vacation days (even though the employer is legally mandated to offer sick or vacation days).
Not reimbursing traveling & other expenses
If your job requires use of personal vehicles and fuel to get somewhere (basically, some form of investment or expenses) and your employer neglects those reimbursements, they’re effectively taking money out of your pockets.
Under the table
If you’re working under the table, you might be getting paid less than you’re legally entitled to, and missing out on a whole lot of other benefits.