Arkansas Overtime Laws
If your employer is withholding your hard-earned compensation for the excess hours that you worked, it’s imperative that you understand the Arkansas overtime laws and how they affect you.
If you have questions, speak with professional overtime lawyer, Travis Hedgpeth, today.
You regularly work over 40 hours in a week, but your paycheck is always the same. Is your employer illegally denying you overtime pay? The Arkansas overtime laws have exemptions, meaning that not every employee is guaranteed overtime wages. Generally, though, federal and state laws give you the right to claim overtime unless an employer can prove you are an exempt worker.
If you need an overtime lawyer, call The Hedgpeth Law Firm, PC today for a free no-obligation case evaluation.
Overtime laws in Arkansas
Employers with at least four employees are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Arkansas laws. For every extra hour worked in a 40-hour workweek, Arkansas overtime laws require employers to pay workers 1.5 times their regular pay rates. Overtime pay is calculated weekly and not daily. In other words, you won’t get paid whenever you work over 8 hours a day.
These laws only protect non-exempt employees. There are several categories of employees who cannot claim overtime, no matter the number of excess hours they work. Salaried, executive, administrative, professional, computer, outside sales, and highly compensated employees are generally overtime-exempt. Each category has specific conditions that workers must meet before being disqualified from receiving overtime.
There are also special overtime provisions that affect employees working in fire departments, hospitals, police, and residential care facilities.
Arkansas Minimum Wage Laws
Currently, Arkansas has a minimum wage of $10.00 per hour, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. The rate will change to $11.00 starting January 1, 2021. There’s an exception when it comes to tipped employees, as their minimum wage is $2.63 per hour. It is because employers are allowed to take $7.37 as a tip credit.
However, taking a tip credit without ensuring an employee is getting paid more than the state minimum wage can result in unpaid wages and overtime. In case an employee is not earning $7.37 or more in tips per hour, Arkansas laws state that the employer must settle the difference.
For a free legal consultation with Travis Hedgpeth, call (281) 572-0727.
Deductions from Minimum Wage
Under Arkansa’s wage and overtime law, it is legal for an employer to make unauthorized deductions that bring the minimum wage below $10.00 per hour. Examples of non-standard deductions include:
· Fines for misconduct or lateness
· Breakage or spoilage of goods
· Inventory shortage
· Cash losses.
What step should I take if an employer refuses to pay overtime?
Overtime laws in Arkansas are quite complicated. The best thing to do is contacting an overtime lawyer to evaluate your case, determine if an employer has committed any overtime violation, and then file an unpaid overtime claim on your behalf.
If you need an experienced and trusted overtime attorney in Arkansas, contact The Hedgpeth Law Firm, PC at (281) 572-0727 for a free consultation.
