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Why are Pay Statements Important for Workers in Texarkana?


— October 13, 2022

Wage theft is unfortunately a very common problem for people in Texas and the rest of the United States.


Texarkana, TX – One of the best ways for an employee to detect wage theft, missing pay, unpaid overtime, or illegal deductions is to regularly check their pay statements. If these issues are discovered, the employer may have made an honest mistake that will be quickly fixed. However, some workplaces may engage in systematic wage theft or other illegal pay practices. The employee has the option of retaining their own lawyer and reporting these issues to the Texas Workforce Commission to receive help and protection. 

Reviewing hours, wages, and deductions

The pay statement should have the total hours worked, pay rate, any relevant overtime pay, all deductions such as taxes and social security, along with the person’s identifying information. If any of this information is missing, it should be directed to the employer’s attention. This serves as an important safeguard if multiple people between the company’s payroll department, along with the worker, end up reviewing the information.  

Record keeping requirements

All employers are required by law to keep records of their workers’ pay with certain pieces of information on them. A pay statement is another important way for a worker to receive information about what their employer is doing to record their wages and pay them. The wage statements will usually reflect the employer’s formal records, so the worker can have both corrected and use the pay statement as evidence if there is a discrepancy. The worker may also want to start to keep their own basic records so that they are aware of how many hours they have worked and the total amount they should receive. 

Wage theft

Image by Andrew Khoroshavin, courtesy of Pixabay.
Image by Andrew Khoroshavin, courtesy of Pixabay.

Wage theft is unfortunately a very common problem for people in Texas and the rest of the United States. It is possible that the worker may even receive an incorrect pay statement that reflects illegal pay practices. In these situations, it is best for the worker to try to get outside help from a labor agency or attorney. If the employer retaliates against the worker for reporting these kinds of illegal practices, they may face serious trouble such as lawsuits and fines. The worker should utilize their pay statements and any other pieces of relevant evidence when it is necessary to prove that the employer is guilty of illegal pay practices. 

Assistance from a local unpaid wage lawyer

There are labor and employment lawyers who are available to help anyone who has had problems with missing wages, overtime, discrimination, or sexual harassment in Texarkana. Moore and Associates is a trusted resource for anyone who needs to file a lawsuit against their workplace.

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