PREVAILING WAGES
For workers who are employed in certain industries, the prevailing wage may be more important than the state minimum wage. Yet while you may be entitled to a prevailing wage, your employer may wrongfully deny your payment. If you believe that you have a prevailing wage claim, our experienced Cleveland prevailing wage attorneys at the office of Coffman Legal, LLC can help. We offer free consultations and can represent you on a contingency fee basis, which means that our lawyers don’t get paid if you don’t.
Most workers are more familiar with the term minimum wage — the minimum rate at which a worker must be compensated for services performed. A prevailing wage is similar to a minimum wage, except that it refers to the rate of compensation that workers on public works projects must receive. Workers on public work projects most commonly include construction workers, but might also include demolition crew workers, painters, and other trade workers. In short, a prevailing wage is the minimum rate of compensation, including a base wage and supplement (employee benefits,) at which an employee must be compensated for projects that are publicly funded or paid for by the government.
Contractors and subcontractors working on public works projects are entitled to earn a prevailing wage. Yet prevailing wage violations are all too common. Common types of prevailing wage violations include, but are not limited to– Not including the required benefits when calculating a worker’s wage; Failing to pay the prevailing wage and instead paying a minimum wage or another wage amount; Improperly deducting taxes from a worker’s pay; Failing to properly calculate overtime pay; and Misclassifying employees in order to deny them a prevailing wage altogether.
At the office of Coffman Legal, LLC, our Cleveland prevailing wage attorneys have years of combined legal experience related to prevailing wage claims. Our lawyers understand prevailing wage laws as well as what a prevailing wage violation looks like. We know how to bring forth a claim, build a case, and advocate for a client whose rights have been breached. When you choose our law firm, we can explain to you the types of remedies that you may be entitled to by bringing forth a prevailing wage claim, including back pay, lawyers’ fees, and compensation for emotional distress. We’ll also make sure that your right to bring forth a claim is protected — if your employer retaliates against you, which is illegal, we can help.
Navigating your rights as a construction worker or a contractor on a public workers project can be confusing and overwhelming. Without legal training yourself, you may be unsure where to turn or how to ask your employer for clarification. At the office of Coffman Legal, LLC, our Cleveland prevailing wage lawyers know what you’re going through and what type of legal support you need. For a free consultation and an overview of your rights, please call our law firm directly today or send us a message online. We can start working on your immediately.