Elyria Unpaid Meal & Rest Period Lawyer

An employer in Elyria may avoid paying you fair wages by using many unlawful tactics. One is failing to pay you correctly for meal and rest periods. This is a labor law violation that workers may not notice right away. If you believe you should have earned more due to an unpaid rest or meal period, such as if your employer withheld pay for a meal break that you had to work through, contact an Elyria unpaid meal and rest period attorney at Scott & Winters Law Firm for assistance. Our unpaid meal lawyers can help you protect your legal rights.

Why Choose The Unpaid Meal and Rest Period Attorneys at Elyria?

• Our wage and hour attorneys in Elyria have over 35 years of experience practicing wage and hour law in the state of Ohio. We have litigated over 100 jury trials.
• We have recovered millions of dollars in successful settlements and jury verdicts for past clients. We have what it takes to win.
• Our Elyria unpaid meal and rest period lawyers are committed to helping workers get the wages they have rightfully earned and hold employers accountable for wage law violations.

What Are Ohio’s Meal and Rest Break Laws?

Employers are not required to provide workers with paid or unpaid breaks as part of a shift. If an employer does provide meal or rest breaks, he or she must adhere to all applicable federal labor laws, as well as state wage laws about mealtime and rest in Ohio. These laws include:

• An unpaid meal break must be compensated and counted as hours worked if it was interrupted by your employer or you were required to work during the break.
• Your employer is legally required under state and federal law to pay all rest breaks of 20 minutes or less. This includes bathroom breaks and other brief interruptions.
• Meal and rest breaks that are longer than 30 minutes do not have to be paid; however, you must be relieved from all work duties during the unpaid break.
• If you are required to take your meal break off the clock, you must get 30 uninterrupted minutes. Otherwise, the break will count as hours worked and you will deserve to be compensated.

In essence, your employer is not allowed to interrupt an unpaid rest or meal break of 30 minutes or more. If your employer does interrupt and require you to perform work-related tasks during this time, you must get paid for the break. If your break lasts for 20 minutes or less, it must also be paid.

Compensation for Unpaid Meal and Rest Periods

If your employer in Elyria frequently interrupts your 30-minute meal or break periods but has not been including this time as hours worked on your paychecks, this is a labor law violation. It is also a wage violation if your employer forces you to clock out for breaks that last less than 20 minutes. If one or multiple paychecks you have received show signs of illegally unpaid meal or rest periods, bring these documents to an attorney at Scott & Winters Law Firm for a free case consultation. You may be eligible for financial compensation from your employer.

You could receive a settlement or judgment award that compensates you for meal and rest periods that were illegally unpaid. Your employer may be forced to pay you for all unpaid hours up to the date that you filed the claim. You may also qualify for additional compensation in interest or penalties. If your employer or the company you work for refuses to reach a satisfactory settlement for your unpaid rest and meal breaks, our Elyria unpaid meal attorneys are prepared to go to trial on your behalf.

Contact Our Unpaid Meal and Rest Period Lawyers at Elyria Today

To learn more about a potential claim or lawsuit for an unpaid meal or rest period in Elyria, contact us to request a free case consultation. The experienced attorneys at Scott & Winters Law Firm can carefully review your case, search for unfair employer practices, explain your rights and help you seek the financial compensation that you deserve. Contact us online or call (216) 912-2221 today.