Oral Complaints About Overtime Violations Protected from Retaliation

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits retaliation against an employee that orally complains to his employer about wage and hour and overtime violations the Supreme Court ruled last week in Kasten v. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics. The Court reasoned that the overtime law's purpose and objective would be undermined if employees' protection against retaliationwas limited to written, formally filed complaints. 

Kentucky overtime law, like the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, prohibits retaliation against employees that complain of or report overtime or wage and hour violations. However, the Supreme Court's decision, which interprets federal law, does not mean necessarily that Kentucky law also prohibits retaliation against oral complaints.

If you have questions about your rights to overtime compensation, contact Lexington, Kentucky overtime lawyer Robert Abell at 859-254-7076.