Highly Respected New York Employment Lawyers Fight for the Rights of Retail Employees

Turn to us for help when your rights have been denied

The life of a retail employee is often filled with long hours and hectic crowds full of customers. When dealing with these job strains, retail employees are entitled to, and deserve, a wide range of rights. Unfortunately, far too many retail companies fail to adhere to state and federal laws governing the rights of their employees.

At Hepworth Gershbaum & Roth, our New York retail employee rights attorneys take an aggressive stance against organizations that steal or mislead their staff members. We provide aggressive legal representation to retail workers who have been victimized by illegal employer practices.

What rights do retail employees have?

In New York, retail employees are offered many legal rights. Of these rights, the most commonly violated are those relating to compensation.

Under state and federal employment laws, retail employees must be compensated for:

• Overtime hours: Retail employees are entitled to overtime pay for any hours worked over 40 in a given week. Unfortunately, many employers attempt to game the system by combining work weeks or asking employees to defer overtime hours until the following week.

• Training: Many retail employers require significant training hours before an employee can get to work. Employees must be compensated for these training hours.

• Tasks performed before and after work hours: In an effort to reduce labor costs, many employers ask staff members to perform tasks before or after their shift. This practice is in violation of employment law. Employees who are denied payment for off-the-clock tasks may be entitled to compensation for lost wages.   

Any employer who refuses to justly compensate its staff members may be liable for the employees’ lost wages and other punitive damages.

Retail employees are offered many other rights in New York

State and federal employment laws offer retail employees many rights in addition to those relating to compensation. By law, retail employees are offered the right to:

• A safe working environment: Retail employees have the right to a working environment that is free from physical and emotional threats. Any employer who knowingly allows a staff member to be harassed or assaulted is in violation of employment laws.

• Lunch and rest breaks: Depending upon the length of their shift, retail employees may be entitled to a lunch break and rest breaks. Lunch breaks must last a minimum of 30 minutes and may be paid or unpaid depending upon the employer’s policies. Rest breaks that are provided within the shift must be paid.

• Equal advancement opportunities: Retail employees may not be withheld employment or advancement based solely on their race, gender, age, sexual orientation or religion. Employers who overlook staff members because of these demographic factors may be liable for damages.

Contact our skilled New York employment lawyers today if you think your rights as a retail employee have been violated

At Hepworth Gershbaum & Roth, our employment lawyers fight for the rights of retail employees throughout New York. With more than 70 years of combined experience, our New York retail employee rights lawyers have the knowledge and skill needed to help you find justice for mistreatment in the workplace.

To schedule a free initial consultation with one of our New York employment law attorneys, contact us online or call 212-545-1199 today.