Work, Work, Work, Work!

Do you remember your first real job.  I'm not talking babysitting or mowing the neighbor's lawn or even selling lemonade at the corner.  

Nope, I'm talking about doing the 9-5 grind, having to deal with  onerous co-workers and/or bosses, endless meetings, and all those hours of sweet overtime.

Yeah, I remember the days when I used to get overtime back when I drove a stake-bed truck for Goodyear.  I remember driving all around Los Angeles and Orange Counties 15 hours a day, six days a week.  

While my hourly wasn't all that great, I made an absolute killing on overtime.  Those were the days.  I suspect though, what with all the stories of employers stealing wages from their employees, there are a whole lot of people who don't benefit all that much from overtime.

Take, for instance the young lady who came in the other day.  Seems a iron-worker by trade, young lady claimed that her employer had stiffed her for hundreds of hours of overtime.  She tried taking it to the union but they sided with the employer (no surprise, there).

Livid, young lady want to know what she can do to recoup her losses.  First I suggested she take a look at the U.S. Department of Labor's website.  It's a great tool to help get you focused on what your rights are as they related to money owed.  Next, I suggested she take a look at:

• California Wage and Hour: law and litigation (CEB)
• Wage and Hour Manual: for California Employers (Castle Pub)
• California Employment Law: the complete survival guide to doing business in California (Employment Law Pub).
• California Practice Guide: Employment Law (TR)
• EEOC Compliance Manual (CCH)

and off young lady went to plot her revenge.

Yeah, really stinks when you put in your 12 hour day and find you got stiffed for doing a hard day's work.  Good thing there are county law libraries around to help get you dial in to where you need to be.