Reducing my hourly rate without notice

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Reducing my hourly rate without notice

I accepted a position with a company at
27/hr. I was paid that rate on my first
2 paychecks. My next paycheck reflected
22/hr and the owner cut my OT hrs
worked from 15 hrs to 3 hrs with no
explanation on either. Obviously I
noticed after I looked at my paystub
because I was expecting a much bigger
pay check that week

Asked on July 4, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, Maryland

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 4 years ago | Contributor

The employer may not reduce your pay retroactively--that is, for work you have already done. For work you did or hours you worked, they must pay you the rate you were working at when you did the work. 
They also may not reduce your hours, including overtime hours, from what you actually worked. The law (e.g. the Fair Labor Standards Act or FLSA) is clear: you must be paid for all hours actually worked. 
Based on what you write, you appear to have a viable wage-and-hour claim and may wish to contact the state's department of labor to file a complaint.
They can reduce pay with notice on a going-forward basis: from the moment they tell you that you pay is lower, it will be lower.


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