Each person may have different priorities when it comes to finding an employer, but one common factor emerges: being able to earn enough money to pay for your needs. More than the company culture or positive relationships with your coworkers, receiving fair compensation for the work you do and the skills you provide is essential.
Unfortunately, there may be situations where you find yourself being overworked and underpaid despite your skill level or expertise. Knowing your rights as a worker, as well as how to identify and navigate these situations, can help you get fair compensation.
Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Under American law, the Federal Labor Standards Act protects the rights of every worker to receive proper wages and overtime pay, when applicable. These rights are protected by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor.
If a worker is not fairly compensated with adequate wages or overtime pay, they may file a complaint with the Department of Labor or take further legal action to recover income lost from unfair wage practices.
Signs You Are Overworked and Underpaid
Generally, there are telltale signs within the workplace that you are not receiving fair compensation for the amount of work you render.
Signs of overwork include finding yourself with a never-ending list of tasks throughout the workday, not having enough hours to accomplish all your work, and a poor work-life balance that severely impacts your health and wellbeing even beyond work hours.
Meanwhile, you may be underpaid if the salary you receive for your current position is below industry standards, you are not given any opportunity to receive a performance evaluation, or your scope of work increases without the appropriate salary adjustments.
Most importantly, the biggest sign of being overworked and underpaid is if you are willing to settle for unfair practices to ensure that you remain gainfully employed.
How to Address Being Underpaid and Overworked
If you recognize that you are not being fairly compensated, there are several actions you can take to address the situation and negotiate for better terms.
Talking to your superior is a good first step, as it opens the opportunity to discuss your current workload and job performance. You can also use this discussion to directly ask for a raise, with a list of your contributions to the company and other relevant organizational and industry achievements to further back your case. Be sure to do your research on industry standards for your skill level and experience.
Another way to approach the situation is to open the idea of task delegation within the team. If a pay raise is not feasible, distributing the amount of work to more employees can reduce your workload. This allows you to make better use of your hours without needing additional compensation.
If these options have been fully exhausted with no results, consider consulting with a labor lawyer. They will be able to provide advice on how to proceed and receive just compensation.
At the end of the day, workers must speak up in the face of being overworked and underpaid. Know more about your rights and options from the infographic below.
