I think my paychecks are short.

Management may be tampering with your pay to help keep labor cost down.   Wage theft is a serious issue for low-wage workers, estimates state as much as $20-50 billion dollars are stolen from workers every year by their employers.  If your paycheck doesn't quite look right then it's time to track your hours. Dept. of Labor offers an app, if you happen to have an iphone.  Otherwise, you'll need to keep track of your hours in another way: a small notebook you carry with you, the note app on your phone or keeping your time slips in a folder.  Keep track of each clock-in and clock-out (including breaks) for one pay period. Compare the total hours with the hours on the paycheck. If you believe you may be a victim of wage theft call us.

More information about wage theft may be found here. 

Can I be fired for being gay?

Kansas City, Missouri, has a civil rights ordinance which states you may not be discriminated against on the basis of race, national origin, sex, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status and gender identity.  This ordinance applies to employment and housing discrimination.  If you believe you have been discriminated against please contact our office to speak with an attorney.

Read more information about employment discrimination here. 

I never get a lunch break and I don't get paid for it either.

An employer cannot dock a worker’s hours for breaks that were never actually taken.  Employers are not required to pay an employee for a meal breaks (usually) 30-60 minutes). But employers must pay the employee for any break that is 20 minutes or less. If you're a low-wage worker and you believe your employer is deducting breaks, that weren't taken, from your pay call our office to discuss. 

Click here to learn more about wage theft and how to protect yourself.