Get Paid for Overtime Your Employer Has Cheated You Out Of

By Robert S. Norell, Wage and Hour Attorney

If your paycheck doesn’t reflect the overtime you worked, you may be legally entitled to more money than you think.

Every year, thousands of employees across Florida (and nationwide) are denied overtime pay they’ve earned. Sometimes it’s due to a misunderstanding of the law. Other times, it’s a deliberate attempt by the employer to cut costs at your expense.

As a wage and hour attorney with over 30 years of experience handling unpaid overtime claims, I’ve helped many employees recover the compensation they were owed – oftentimes double what they originally lost.

Here’s what you need to know if your employer isn’t paying you overtime.

Are You Entitled to Overtime?

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), most employees are entitled to:

• Overtime pay at 1.5 times your regular hourly rate
• For every hour worked over 40 hours in a single 7-day workweek

Your job title, salary, or how your employer classifies you is not the deciding factor. What matters is what you actually do on the job (i.e., your job duties).

You may be misclassified as “exempt” from overtime if:

• You’re salaried but do not have true managerial, executive, or professional duties
• You’re labeled an independent contractor but are treated like a regular employee
• You’re paid a “day rate” or “flat rate” but still work over 40 hours, and don’t receive overtime.

What to Do if You’re Missing Overtime Pay

1. Document Your Hours

Keep a personal record of:

• Start and end times for each shift
• Any breaks missed or worked through
• Communications with your employer about hours

Even if you didn’t clock in, you can still recover pay if your employer allowed or should have known you were working.

2. Pay Attention – Review Your Paystubs and Time Cards

Look for:

• Payment for exactly 40 hours
• Same flat pay regardless of total hours worked
• Missing overtime rates or improper calculations
• Automatic deductions for a lunch break that you don’t get to take (for example, daily clock outs from 12:00PM to 12:30PM even though you eat at your desk and don’t have time to take a fully uninterrupted meal break

If anything looks off, don’t ignore it—it may be a sign of a larger wage violation.

3. Get a Free Case Evaluation

Wage theft is serious. Employers often have lawyers on their side – you should too.

I offer free case evaluations to help determine if you have a valid claim. If we move forward, there are no upfront costs to you. In many cases, you may recover:

• Unpaid wages
• Liquidated damages (double the amount owed)
• Attorney’s fees and costs paid by your employer

You Have Legal Rights – But Time Matters – Act Now!

The law gives you only 2 years (sometimes 3) to recover unpaid overtime. The clock starts from the date of the violation—not when you notice the issue.

The sooner you act, the stronger your case may be. The longer you wait, the more likely you will lose parts of your claim. Call Robert S. Norell, P.A. to GET PAID!

Start With a Free Case Evaluation

If your employer denied you overtime, I want to hear your story. You may be owed more than you think.

Serving employees across Florida and beyond in federal wage claims.