Employment Lawyer NYC | Unpaid Wages Full Recovery

Before contacting a law firm, the client repeatedly demanded payment from the employer, only to be told that overtime pay and paid leave compensation were already included in the annual salary.

However, the written employment agreement did not clearly specify any inclusive wage arrangement, nor did payroll records itemize overtime or paid leave payments.

The client regularly worked beyond scheduled hours, including evenings and weekends, yet received no additional compensation reflecting those hours.

As months passed after resignation without payment, the client faced financial hardship and sought help from an experienced employment lawyer in NYC.

Employees who meet attendance and service requirements are entitled to accrue paid leave, and unused accrued leave may require compensation depending on employer policy and payroll practices.

Key considerations in this case included

Whether paid leave was clearly accrued and tracked

Whether the employer followed internal procedures regarding leave usage

Whether the employer properly documented any forfeiture or usage process

Because the employer failed to demonstrate compliance or proper notice, the unpaid leave was treated as recoverable wages.

Upon separation, New York employers are required to provide final wage payments in a timely manner.

Delays based on internal disputes or financial difficulties do not excuse non payment.

The employment lawyer in NYC emphasized that failure to issue final wages promptly strengthens an employee’s claim and exposes the employer to additional financial liability.

The legal team reconstructed the client’s actual working hours using attendance logs, internal schedules, and communication records.

This analysis demonstrated consistent overtime work and weekend labor that had never been compensated.

By recalculating wages based on actual hours worked rather than employer assumptions, the employment lawyer in NYC identified a substantial underpayment amount.

These findings formed the core of the unpaid wage claim and directly challenged the employer’s salary inclusion defense.

The employer’s severance calculation excluded overtime earnings, resulting in an artificially reduced payout.

The employment lawyer in NYC recalculated average wages using the full compensation history, including overtime and supplemental earnings.

This adjustment significantly increased the severance amount owed and reinforced the broader claim of systematic wage underpayment.

The final decision awarded the employee full payment for

Unpaid overtime wages

Weekend and holiday work compensation

Unused paid leave compensation

Correctly recalculated severance pay

The total recovery amounted to a significant six figure settlement in local currency terms, along with additional monetary damages for delayed payment.

This outcome reflects the effectiveness of experienced representation by an employment lawyer in NYC who understands both legal standards and litigation strategy.