Towson Unpaid Overtime Lawyer

Unpaid Overtime Lawyer Towson, MD

If you’re working more than 40 hours a week and your paycheck doesn’t reflect it, something is wrong. You earned that time, and Maryland law says you’re owed for it.

At Eric Siegel Law, our Towson, MD unpaid overtime lawyer has been handling wage and hour disputes for over 30 years. We represent employees across Towson and Baltimore County who have been shorted on the pay they’re legally owed. Whether your employer misclassified your position, manipulated your hours, or simply refused to pay the proper rate, we are prepared to hold them accountable.

If you believe your employer is withholding overtime wages, we are here to help.

Why Choose Eric Siegel Law for Unpaid Overtime Cases in Towson, MD?

A Wage and Hour Attorney Who Started in Federal Service

Founding attorney Eric L. Siegel began his legal career at the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, where he spent years enforcing protections for workers and individuals. The attorneys at Eric Siegel Law understand how federal agencies investigate wage violations and what evidence moves a case forward.

Eric holds a J.D. from UCLA School of Law and a B.A. from Tufts University. He is admitted to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and New York, and has been litigating employment cases for more than three decades. His Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating reflects the highest level of peer-reviewed professional and ethical standing. He’s also been recognized by Best Lawyers (2023), received a 10.0 Avvo Rating, and was named to TopVerdict.com’s Top 100 Jury Verdicts in Labor & Employment (2022).

Our firm also includes Senior Counsel James E. Miller, whose primary focus is employment law, including overtime and minimum wage claims. James earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and previously served as an employment lawyer advising and representing the U.S. Army in workplace litigation. He is known for zealous advocacy and a strong commitment to achieving the best outcomes for employees who’ve been wronged.

Our employment lawyers in Towson, MD have helped clients recover the wages they are owed. When an employer withholds pay without a legitimate dispute, Maryland law allows recovery of up to three times the unpaid amount. We have the litigation record and the willingness to go to trial to make that threat real.

A Record of Client Trust

Our clients know what to expect from us: direct communication, honest case assessments, and an attorney who actually listens.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Eric was an excellent advocate for me in getting my situation resolved. He was clear, direct, did not sugar coat, but worked zealously to achieve an optimal result–and he did just that. If anyone is ever facing an employment-related case, I cannot recommend Eric and his team highly enough. Thank you Eric!” – Raymond Spencer

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Wage and Hour Cases We Handle in Towson

Overtime violations take many forms. Some are obvious. Others are buried in payroll practices that most employees never think to question. Our firm handles the full range of wage and hour claims across Towson and Baltimore County.

• Unpaid overtime wages. If your employer failed to pay time-and-a-half for hours over 40 in a workweek, you may be entitled to back pay plus damages. We pursue these claims under both Maryland and federal law.
• Employee misclassification. Employers sometimes label workers as “exempt” salaried employees or independent contractors to avoid paying overtime. A job title alone does not determine exemption status. If your actual duties don’t meet the legal test, you’re owed overtime regardless of what your employer calls you.
• Off-the-clock work. Pre-shift setup, post-shift cleanup, mandatory training, work emails answered from home. If your employer required or permitted the work, those hours count. We help employees recover unpaid overtime in these situations.
• Tip credit violations. Tipped employees in Maryland must still earn at least $3.63 per hour in direct wages, with tips bringing the total to minimum wage. When employers miscalculate tip credits or require tipped employees to perform non-tipped work for extended periods, overtime calculations are affected.
• Altered time records. Some employers shave hours from employee timesheets, round down clock-in times, or auto-deduct breaks that were never taken. This kind of wage theft is illegal and recoverable.
• Retaliation for reporting. If you complained about unpaid wages and your employer demoted, disciplined, or fired you, that retaliation is separately actionable under Maryland and federal law.

Maryland Legal Requirements for Overtime Pay

Maryland’s overtime statute is found in the Labor and Employment Article § 3-415 of the Annotated Code of Maryland. It requires most employers to pay non-exempt employees at a rate of 1.5 times their regular hourly wage for every hour worked beyond 40 in a single workweek. Overtime is calculated weekly. Maryland does not have a daily overtime threshold, and employers cannot average hours across two weeks to avoid the 40-hour trigger.

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act runs parallel to Maryland’s law. When both apply, the employee gets the benefit of whichever statute provides greater protection. In practice, many unpaid overtime attorneys in Towson pursue claims under both simultaneously.

Not every worker qualifies for overtime. The law carves out exemptions for certain executive, administrative, and professional employees who meet specific duties and salary tests. But being paid a salary, by itself, does not make someone exempt. The U.S. Department of Labor has published detailed guidance on these classifications, and misclassification remains one of the most common violations.

Employees who file unpaid overtime claims in Maryland can look back three years under state law. Under the FLSA, the lookback period is two years for standard violations and three years for willful ones. The Maryland Department of Labor accepts wage complaints directly, or employees can file suit in state or federal court without first going through the administrative process.

Understanding these deadlines matters. Every week that passes means another week of lost wages that may fall outside the recovery window.

Important Aspects of an Unpaid Overtime Case in Towson

Determining Your Exempt or Non-Exempt Status

This is usually the first question. Your employer may have told you that you’re exempt and not entitled to overtime. That classification could be wrong. Under both Maryland and federal law, exemption depends on your actual job duties, not your title or whether you’re salaried. We review job descriptions, daily responsibilities, and pay structure to determine whether the exemption was properly applied. Employers who get this wrong are liable for every hour of overtime they failed to pay.

Calculating What You Are Owed

Overtime pay is based on your “regular rate,” which can include more than just your base hourly wage. Bonuses, commissions, shift differentials, and certain other forms of compensation may factor into the calculation. The difference between correct and incorrect calculations can be significant over months or years of underpayment. We work through payroll records to build an accurate picture of what an employer owes.

Gathering Evidence

Solid documentation strengthens every wage claim. Pay stubs, time records, work schedules, emails about hours, text messages from supervisors asking you to come in early or stay late. If your employer destroyed or failed to keep required wage records, the burden can shift to them to disprove your claimed hours. We help clients document wage violations effectively from the start.

Understanding Damages Under Maryland Law

Maryland’s Wage Payment and Collection Law, specifically § 3-507.2, allows courts to award up to three times the unpaid wages when the employer’s failure to pay was not based on a good-faith dispute. That means if you’re owed $10,000 in unpaid overtime, a court could award $30,000 plus attorney’s fees. Under federal law, the equivalent remedy is double the unpaid amount. This makes Maryland one of the more employee-friendly states for wage recovery.

Filing with Administrative Agencies

You can file a wage complaint with the Maryland Employment Standards Service, or you may choose to pursue your claim through the EEOC if discrimination played a role in the wage violation. Filing with an agency is not a prerequisite to bringing a lawsuit in Maryland, but it can sometimes be a useful first step. Our unpaid wage lawyers in Towson, MD can advise you on the best path for your particular situation.

The Employer’s Likely Response

Most employers deny the violation outright. They’ll argue you were exempt, that the hours weren’t actually worked, or that you agreed to the pay arrangement. An employee’s agreement to work for less than the legally required wage is not a defense under Maryland law. The statute specifically says so. Your employer’s characterization of the situation does not override what the law requires, and a strong unpaid overtime claim backed by documentation is difficult for an employer to dismiss.

Contact Eric Siegel Law

If your employer hasn’t paid you for the overtime hours you’ve worked, the law provides a clear path to recover those wages, and in most cases, significantly more. Maryland’s treble damages provision exists precisely to deter employers from shortchanging their workers.

Contact us to discuss your situation. We respond promptly and can typically provide an initial assessment of your claim within a few days.