recovered for our employment law cases
Wage and hour laws protect your right to receive every dollar you have earned. Whether you are paid hourly, earn tips, or receive a salary, your employer must comply with federal and New York laws governing minimum wage, overtime, and other pay practices. If you believe those rights have been violated, a Brooklyn wage and hour lawyer can help you understand your legal options.
Brooklyn’s restaurants, construction sites, retail stores, healthcare facilities, and countless other workplaces rely on hardworking employees every day. Unfortunately, wage theft remains a common problem across many industries, leaving workers without the pay they have earned.
At Joseph & Norinsberg, we represent Brooklyn workers whose employers have violated wage and hour laws. Our employment lawyers provide legal services in English and Spanish, and we fight to recover unpaid wages, overtime, and other available damages for employees throughout Brooklyn.
Table of Contents
- Why Brooklyn Workers Choose Joseph & Norinsberg
- Common Brooklyn Wage and Hour Violations
- Your Wage and Hour Rights as a Brooklyn Employee
- When Brooklyn Employers Can Be Held Liable for Wage Theft
- How Much Can You Recover in a Brooklyn Wage and Hour Case?
- How Long Do You Have to File a Wage and Hour Claim in Brooklyn?
- How Our Brooklyn Wage and Hour Lawyers Can Help
- Take the Next Step Against Wage Theft in Brooklyn Today
Why Brooklyn Workers Choose Joseph & Norinsberg
When your employer fails to lawfully pay you, you deserve a legal team with the experience and determination to protect your rights. Joseph & Norinsberg brings more than 75 years of collective experience representing employees in complex workplace disputes and has built its reputation on standing up to powerful employers.
We believe successful cases are built through relentless preparation long before they ever reach a courtroom, carefully investigating payroll practices, reviewing employment records, and developing the strongest possible claim from the start. Our team provides legal services for qualifying wage and hour claims on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not pay attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Common Brooklyn Wage and Hour Violations
Wage theft is not always obvious. Some employers rely on payroll practices that gradually reduce what workers take home, while others ignore wage laws altogether. Understanding the most common violations can help you recognize when your rights may have been violated.
Common wage and hour violations include the following:
- Unpaid overtime: Your employer fails to pay overtime after you work more than 40 hours in a workweek or incorrectly calculates your overtime rate.
- Off-the-clock work: You are expected to complete job duties before clocking in, after clocking out, or during unpaid breaks without compensation.
- Minimum wage violations: Your hourly pay falls below the minimum wage required under federal or New York law.
- Tip violations: Your employer withholds tips, keeps a portion of gratuities, or requires unlawful tip pooling arrangements.
- Employee misclassification: You are improperly classified as exempt from overtime or as an independent contractor to avoid paying wages or benefits required by law.
- Payroll violations: Your employer makes unlawful deductions from your paycheck or fails to provide accurate wage notices and wage statements.
Your Wage and Hour Rights as a Brooklyn Employee
Federal and New York law give Brooklyn workers the right to be paid fairly for every hour they work. As of January 1, 2026, the minimum wage for most New York City employees is $17.00 per hour. Nonexempt employees generally must also receive one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
Both the Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA, and the New York Labor Law provide protections to workers. These laws impose standards for minimum wage, overtime, and other pay practices. In many situations, New York law provides broader protections than federal law.
The New York Wage Theft Prevention Act, or WTPA, builds on those protections by requiring employers to provide wage notices and accurate wage statements. These protections also apply regardless of immigration status because every worker has the right to receive the wages they have legally earned.
When Brooklyn Employers Can Be Held Liable for Wage Theft
Many wage and hour claims begin with workplace policies that employees must follow every day. While some pay practices are lawful, others cross the line when they result in workers receiving less than they are legally owed.
The operators of restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues throughout neighborhoods such as Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn, and Park Slope frequently commit wage violations, including unpaid overtime, off-the-clock work, or mishandled tips. In addition, construction companies, retail businesses, grocery stores, and building service employers often face liability for failing to pay for all hours worked, improperly classifying employees, or making unlawful deductions from workers’ pay.
Whether you work for a family-owned business or for a large company, employers are responsible for complying with federal and New York wage laws. When they fail to do so, workers may have the right to pursue unpaid wages and other available damages.
How Much Can You Recover in a Brooklyn Wage and Hour Case?
A successful wage and hour claim may allow you to recover more than the wages your employer failed to pay. Depending on the circumstances, New York law offers several remedies designed to compensate workers and hold employers accountable for wage violations.
You generally can pursue the following damages:
- Unpaid wages: You can pursue recovery of the regular wages, minimum wages, or overtime that your employer has failed to pay.
- Liquidated damages: In many cases, New York law allows employees to recover an additional amount equal to their unpaid wages, potentially doubling their recovery.
- Interest: You may also be entitled to prejudgment interest on certain unpaid wage claims.
- Statutory penalties: Additional penalties may apply when employers fail to provide legally required wage notices or wage statements.
- Attorney’s fees and costs: Employees who prevail on qualifying claims may recover reasonable attorney’s fees and litigation costs.
An experienced Brooklyn wage and hour attorney can evaluate your claim and explain which remedies may be available based on your specific circumstances.
How Long Do You Have to File a Wage and Hour Claim in Brooklyn?
The deadline to file a wage and hour claim depends on whether your case is brought under New York or federal law. In most cases, New York gives employees six years to pursue claims for unpaid wages, while the FLSA generally allows two years, or three years for willful violations.
Even if you believe you have plenty of time, acting sooner can make a significant difference. Payroll records, schedules, electronic communications, and witness recollections often become more difficult to obtain as time passes.
How Our Brooklyn Wage and Hour Lawyers Can Help
Wage and hour claims often involve more than comparing your paycheck to the hours you worked. Employers may rely on inaccurate time records or payroll practices that make violations difficult to identify. At Joseph & Norinsberg, every New York wage and hour lawyer on our team takes the time to understand how your employer’s pay practices affected your wages.
We’ll begin with a free, confidential case evaluation where we listen to your concerns, explain your rights, and review the details of your employment. From there, we carefully examine pay stubs, time records, schedules, payroll policies, and other available evidence to determine whether wage and hour violations occurred and calculate what you may be owed.
Once our investigation is complete, we will develop a strategy tailored to your case. Whether that means filing a claim with the appropriate agency, negotiating with your employer, or taking your case to trial, Joseph & Norinsberg prepares every case with the diligence and determination needed to protect workers’ rights.
Take the Next Step Against Wage Theft in Brooklyn Today
Every paycheck matters. If your employer has failed to pay you the wages you earned, you should not have to shoulder the financial burden of their actions.
At Joseph & Norinsberg, we combine thoughtful legal guidance, meticulous case preparation, and a deep understanding of New York employment law to help workers pursue the wages they have earned. We take the time to understand your situation, evaluate the evidence, and develop a strategy tailored to your claim. Our goal is always to protect your rights and hold employers accountable under the law.
Contact us online or call 212-227-5700 today for a free consultation with a Brooklyn wage and hour lawyer.
Jon Norinsberg is one of New York City’s leading civil rights and trial attorneys, with decades of experience litigating high-stakes constitutional and employment disputes. Jon is known as a fearless, battle-tested trial lawyer who takes on powerful corporations, government entities, and public institutions in cases involving civil rights violations, police misconduct, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful conduct.
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