Overtime and minimum wage litigation can be incredibly costly. The Fair Labor Standards Act is the federal law that governs overtime pay and minimum wage, and it established very stiff penalties in the form of liquidated damages. In any litigation under the FLSA, whether it’s for minimum wage violations or overtime violations, employees who win can receive not only any unpaid wages the court deems they are entitled to, but also liquidated damages in the same amount. Essentially, you could end up paying twice what an employee was supposed to earn. And the wages an employee can ask for can go back to up to 3 years prior to the date the litigation was filed. So potentially 3 years of overtime, doubled, all at once, and if more than one employee files a lawsuit, and wins? That’s more or less multiplied by every plaintiff. And this is only the federal law. Many states have their own minimum wage and overtime laws, which can be much stricter than federal law. That’s why it’s so important to consult with a minimum wage and overtime compliance attorney, to make sure that you’re properly compensating your employees.  

In 2021, the Supreme Court issued an opinion which focused a significant amount of discourse dissecting and analyzing the shortest word in the English language, the indefinite article, “a.” This opinion from the Supreme Court ultimately ruled on an issue of whether the government can serve an immigrant a notice to appear in immigration court through a series of documents which constitutes a notice to appear, or if the government must serve a single document called a “Notice to Appear” such that this sole document contains all of the requirements of a proper notice to appear.

Federal and state overtime law can be complicated. An employee can believe they’re entitled to overtime, and it can become a costly problem. Overtime litigation, like minimum wage litigation, an employee who successfully sues for lost wages can be awarded an equal amount of liquidated damages. That means an employee who is awarded $2,000.00 in unpaid overtime can also receive an additional $2,000.00 from you. And if multiple employees join in on the overtime claim? That can add up very quickly. It’s important if you’re being sued for unpaid overtime to consult with an overtime litigation defense attorney to try to pay nothing, or at least as little as you can.

If you are having a hard time paying your bills and have thought about bankruptcy, there are a few things you have to know before taking that next step. Bankruptcy is the legal process of helping people who cannot pay their bills. It allows debtors to eradicate some or all of their debts and get on the path to monetary stability. Filing for bankruptcy can halt home foreclosure and repossession, or other actions taken on behalf of debt collectors. But there are other facts about bankruptcy that you should consider before using this tool as a financial restart.

Sometimes unexpected finances can come up, which can cause families and business owners to pay higher expenses than normal. If the financial issue does not get resolved in an efficient manner, this could lead to debt and eventually filing for bankruptcy.