Don Foty episode spotlights unpaid wage claims and worker compensation

A new episode of The Firm Report features Houston wage-and-hour attorney Don Foty discussing unpaid wage claims, tipped-worker issues, and litigation strategies aimed at recovering back pay for employees. The conversation also highlights how wage cases can force employers to change pay practices and potentially expand relief to more workers.

Why it matters: - Unpaid wage cases can help workers recover money they earned but never received. - The cases can also push employers to change pay practices for future employees. - Foty said many wage violations go unnoticed because workers and lawyers may not recognize them.

What happened: - The Firm Report released a new episode titled "Don Foty: The Hidden Wage Violations in America." - Host Zach Hoffman interviewed Houston attorney Don Foty about unpaid wage claims, worker protections and compensation disputes. - The episode is available on Spotify and other major podcast platforms.

The details: - Foty said his practice focuses on unpaid wage claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act and applicable state laws. - His clients include restaurant employees, oil and gas workers, nurses and other hourly workers. - Foty described issues involving tipped employees such as servers and bartenders who are paid a reduced hourly rate while doing non-tipped work. - He said workers may be required to clean, set up, cook or do janitorial work while still receiving the tipped wage rate. - Foty said those hours should be paid at the full minimum wage because the work is not tipped work. - Foty said one worker's complaint can expand into a collective action when the same policies affect other similarly situated employees. - Foty discussed claims over unpaid time tied to mandatory COVID-19 screenings. - He said some workers had to arrive early, wait in line and complete screenings before clocking in. - Foty said his firm reached settlements in California that compensated workers for that unpaid time. - Foty also discussed appellate work involving a case before the Illinois Supreme Court. - He said the court found Illinois law provides broader protections than federal law for certain pre-shift and post-shift activities performed on an employer's premises. - Foty said his career in wage law began after he found a possible pay-calculation problem while reviewing a personal injury client's records.

Between the lines: - The episode frames wage litigation as both a recovery tool for workers and a way to pressure employers to fix payroll practices. - Foty's remarks suggest that small payroll mistakes can hide larger patterns affecting many workers. - The focus on tipped work, screenings and pre-shift tasks shows how wage disputes often turn on unpaid time that workers may not track closely. - Foty urged more lawyers to take on wage and hour cases and told personal injury attorneys to review pay records for possible violations.

What's next: - Foty said these lawsuits are meant to change pay practices so future workers are paid properly. - He encouraged young lawyers to consider wage and hour law as a practice area. - Foty said hard work, dedication and passion are the three traits he sees as essential for success in the field.

The bottom line: - Foty's message: wage claims can recover back pay, expose hidden violations and reshape how employers compensate workers.