Health care workers, including hospital employees, are regarded as some of the most underappreciated and underpaid workers in the country. One of the many wage-related issues that hospital employees may face is wage theft, committed by hospitals by accident or policy. If you believe you are a victim of this as a hospital employee in Ohio, a wage theft attorney can help you seek justice, reimbursement and fair pay.
Hospitals and other health care centers in Ohio are legally required to abide by state and federal laws for paying their employees minimum wage, or a minimum amount of money per hour. As of 2024, the federal minimum wage per hour is $7.25 and Ohio’s minimum wage is $10.45. Yet many health care workers are taken advantage of by employers and paid less than minimum wage per hour worked.
Many hospital employees are forced by their employers to work “off the clock,” meaning they will not get paid for the work they perform. Any tasks assigned to an employee outside of work hours, such as looking after patients or performing administrative tasks, must be properly paid.
Overtime hours – any hour worked over 40 in one workweek – must legally be paid at a rate of time-and-a-half (1.5 times the worker’s regular rate of pay). Forcing staff to work without pay, unpaid overtime and rounding hours down are illegal acts that constitute wage theft.
If a health care worker has to travel for work-related purposes, travel time must be compensated as hours worked by law. A hospital employee who has to drive or fly to assigned work sites, training programs, seminars, lectures or meetings must be paid properly for travel time and mileage. Otherwise, it is a type of wage theft known as unpaid travel time.
Hospital workers often have to work long hours to care for patients and keep the facility in proper working order. This may include working through rest and meal breaks. If it does, the hospital is required to pay the worker for this as time worked – even if it was only for part of the break. Failing to be given a normal rate of pay for a “working” rest or meal break at a hospital is a type of wage violation.
It is common for health care workers to have to pay for job-related expenses out of their own pockets. This may include their clothing, uniforms, scrubs, shoes and protective gear. Under state and federal employment laws, all job-related or business-related expenses paid for by an employee should be reimbursed. If reimbursed, these expenses should not be listed as deductions from a paycheck.
As a hospital employee in Ohio, you could face countless examples of wage theft. If you suspect that you are not being paid fairly for the work that you do at a hospital or health care facility, contact an attorney at Scott & Winters Law Firm, LLC for a free legal consultation.
We will review your case, analyze your employment documents and pay records, and let you know if you have grounds to file a wage theft claim. If so, we may offer to represent you during insurance settlement negotiations with your employer or a lawsuit in pursuit of just compensation for your stolen wages.
