Dundalk Wage and Hour Lawyer

Wage and Hour Lawyer Dundalk, MD

If your paycheck looks smaller than it should, or you are missing overtime hours, you likely have a wage claim worth investigating. Our Dundalk, MD wage and hour lawyer works with employees across Baltimore County who were shorted on pay, denied overtime, or misclassified as independent contractors by their employer.

At Eric Siegel Law, we focus on defending employee rights under Maryland and federal wage statutes. Our firm handles unpaid overtime claims, minimum wage violations, off-the-clock work complaints, tip pooling disputes, and worker misclassification cases. Our founding attorney brings more than thirty years of litigation experience to every matter we take on. That kind of background matters when an employer has its own legal department and a budget for outside counsel.

To learn what your options are to hold an employer accountable for wage theft or misconduct, reach out to our office for assistance.

Why Choose Eric Siegel Law for Wage and Hour Cases in Dundalk, MD?

Maryland and Federal Wage Law Application

Employees in Dundalk are protected by both state and federal wage statutes. The Maryland Wage and Hour Law and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act establish minimum wage and overtime rules, and each carries its own damages provisions and filing deadlines. Our employment litigation lawyer in Dundalk, MD evaluates every wage case under both laws to identify the strongest combined path to recovery.

A Founding Attorney With Decades in Court

Eric L. Siegel founded our firm after spending more than three decades litigating in courtrooms across Maryland, D.C., and New York. He started his legal career as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. He later advocated for veterans denied disability benefits through nonprofit legal service work. His record includes recognition from TopVerdict.com as one of the Top 100 Jury Verdicts in Labor & Employment for 2022 and a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating. When an employer chooses to litigate rather than settle, that background changes the calculation at the bargaining table.

Administrative and Courtroom Experience

Our firm has represented clients in federal and state courts, in arbitration proceedings, and before federal agencies including the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Wage and hour matters can move through any of those forums depending on the facts of the case. That range of procedural experience gives our firm flexibility at every stage of a dispute.

Clear Communication Throughout Your Case

Wage cases can stretch over several months. Clients deserve regular updates about what’s happening, what comes next, and what’s being filed on their behalf. We return calls and emails promptly. We explain court filings and strategic decisions in plain language.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Eric is the lawyer you want when you need someone who knows the law frontwards and backwards and has the ability to protect your rights in a powerful way. He helped a family member who had been through the ringer and when all was said and done, justice prevailed. He has an insane amount of experience and expertise in the complexities of employment law, and he’s an incredibly strong and strategic advocate. If I could give him more than five stars, I would.” – Elinor Barrington

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Wage and Hour Cases We Handle in Dundalk

Wage violations take many forms. Some involve straightforward errors on a paycheck. Others involve company-wide practices that misapply exemption rules or shift unpaid work onto employees before and after scheduled hours.

• Unpaid overtime. Maryland and federal law require time-and-a-half pay for most hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek. Many common overtime myths persist in workplaces, including the idea that salaried workers never qualify. When employers refuse to pay what workers earned, recovering unpaid overtime begins with a civil wage claim. We review pay stubs, time records, and actual job duties to build the evidence.
• Minimum wage violations. Workers earning below Maryland’s required minimum wage may be entitled to back pay plus liquidated damages. This includes tipped employees whose base wage combined with tips falls below the legal floor. Recovering unpaid minimum wages starts with comparing actual pay to what the law guarantees.
• Off-the-clock work. Employers sometimes ask employees to finish tasks before clocking in or after clocking out. Answering emails at home. Setting up before a shift. Cleaning after close. Those hours count. Keeping careful records on how to document wage violations can strengthen the case considerably.
• Worker misclassification. Some employees get labeled as independent contractors so employers can avoid overtime, minimum wage, and tax obligations. Others are called “salaried exempt” when their actual duties do not satisfy the legal test for exemption. Misclassification strips workers of protections owed under both state and federal law.
• Final paycheck disputes. Maryland law requires final wages be paid by the next scheduled payday after separation from employment. When employers withhold pay, workers have legal remedies under the state wage payment statute, including potential treble damages.

Maryland Legal Requirements for Wage and Hour Claims

Maryland wage law works alongside federal wage law. Both apply to most employees at the same time, and the details differ in ways that affect how cases get filed and what damages become available.

The Maryland Wage and Hour Law sets the state minimum wage and overtime rules. As of 2024, Maryland’s minimum wage is $15.00 per hour for most employers. Baltimore County, which includes Dundalk, follows the state rate. Certain counties like Montgomery have higher local rates that apply within their borders.

The Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law governs when and how wages must be paid. It requires regular pay periods, timely final paychecks, and written notice of pay rates at hire. Employers who willfully withhold wages may face liability for up to three times the unpaid amount, plus attorney’s fees and court costs.

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act covers overtime and minimum wage rules nationwide. Under the FLSA, most non-exempt employees must receive 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforces these standards and publishes overtime rules detailing how exemptions are determined.

Timing matters. Under the FLSA, most claims must be filed within two years of the violation, or three years if the violation was willful. Maryland has its own filing deadlines. Labor standards have evolved in Maryland in recent years, with Maryland labor law changes affecting minimum wage schedules, paid sick leave, and wage transparency rules.

Important Aspects of a Dundalk Wage and Hour Case

Some wage claims resolve through administrative complaints. Others require full litigation in state or federal court. Several factors shape how any given case proceeds.

Documentation Shapes the Outcome

Wage cases often come down to records, like pay stubs, work schedules, time cards, emails about overtime approval, and text messages from supervisors telling workers to finish up off the clock. When an employer keeps incomplete records, the burden shifts in favor of the employee under well-established case law. We help clients gather what they have and work with what they do not.

Retaliation Is a Separate Claim

Workers who file wage complaints are protected against retaliation under both federal and Maryland law. Firing, demoting, cutting hours, or reassigning duties after a wage complaint can itself become a separate legal claim with its own damages. In some cases, these protections overlap with whistleblower rules when reporting involves broader wrongdoing. This matters even if the underlying wage dispute appears small at first glance.

Collective and Class Actions

Wage violations frequently affect more than one employee. If a company miscalculates overtime for one server, the same miscalculation typically applies across the shift. FLSA collective actions allow similarly-situated workers to join together in one lawsuit. Maryland law also permits class actions under certain circumstances. A single complaint can develop into significantly larger litigation.

Available Damages

Successful wage claims may include back pay for all improperly compensated hours, liquidated damages equal to the unpaid wages, reasonable attorney’s fees, and court costs. Under the Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law, treble damages can apply when employers act willfully. That tripling provision creates real leverage during settlement discussions, especially when the underlying violations are clear from the records.

Contact Eric Siegel Law

Wage violations continue to accrue each pay period, and the longer violations go unreported, the more filing deadlines erode the legal options available.

If you have been denied overtime, paid below Maryland’s minimum wage, had your final paycheck withheld, or been misclassified as an independent contractor, reach out to our firm. We review each case individually and explain the legal options clearly and honestly. If you have a strong claim, we will say so. If your situation does not meet the threshold for a wage and hour lawsuit, we will explain that as well. Contact us to speak with an attorney who handles wage and hour matters for workers across Baltimore County.