There’s nothing worse than putting in all the hard work at a business or organization and then having to go through the long and complicated process of being paid. Any decent business will make it a priority that their employees get paid, but of course, not all businesses are decent businesses.
When the process of being paid goes on too long without success, there comes a time where a legal confrontation needs to take place, and you are legally within your rights to receive payment, and compensation for the problems the lack of payment may have caused.
Today, we’re going to detail the seven essential steps you need to take in order to sue for lack of payment and how you can rightfully get the money you deserve.
Research the Laws
Depending on which country and state you’re living and working in, the employment law may differ slightly on how you can receive your wages and what your rights are. The first thing you’ll need to do is research your local area to see how you can progress.
Define Your Earnings
Before moving forward with suing a company, you’ll need to make sure you know the exact amount of money you’re owed by the company in question. You may be missing a whole paycheck, or perhaps you’re missing the overtime you worked. Either way, make sure you have a clear figure to work with.
Collect Your Documents
Each part of your payment process should be documented by you and the business you’ve been working for. You will need to collect all your previous paychecks, any bank statements you have and all the communications between you and your employer regarding the payment matter in question.
Demand Payment
Although you’ve probably done this already in person, it’s important you send your employer an official document where you’re requesting payment, if you haven’t done so already. This needs to be dated and
request the exact amount you’re owned.
Contact the Legal Authority
If the employer is still not paying up, it’s time to take the matters into the courts. File your complaint with your federal government body and include all the information about your case so far and what you’ve done. You will need contact information for both parties here.
Get Ready for Court
An investigation will then take place on your case. This can take a variable amount of time, and you’ll need to await the outcome. In some cases, the organization may pay up, or find other reasons why you haven’t been paid.
Whatever the outcome, you’ll then need to prepare yourself for hearing talks and to discuss what you would like as a settlement figure.
Go to Court
If the case gets this far, you’ll then need to go to court in order for the final decision to be made. This will be you versus the company who owes you money, and the final decision will come down to the judge or jury.
The decision made here will be what settlement you have. You can appeal the decision if you like, but this will result in another court hearing and investigation.
Summary
The path to suing a company for not paying you isn’t a complicated one, but it can be long-winded and challenging if you don’t know what you’re doing. Make sure you know your rights before you set out to challenge your company and know what you’re entitled to beforehand.
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