Failure to Reimburse Expenses Lawyer

Not all employer mistreatment of workers involves wages or benefits. Sometimes, companies take advantage of their workforce by refusing to pay for their employees’ work-related expenditures. 

If you believe your employer has not covered reasonable expenses you incurred to perform your duties, now is the time to seek legal help. A dedicated FLSA attorney can advise you on your options. Before assuming you will not see the money, discuss your case with a failure to reimburse expenses lawyer today. 

Federal Law Can Protect Employees

The Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not directly address the refusal of employers to pay for work-related expenses. However, it does offer an indirect path to compensation. These claims are designed to address employers who refuse to pay all wages to a worker. These costs are treated like a kickback, meaning a claim could be successful based on the refusal to pay expenses. Otherwise, workers would have some earned but unpaid wages after factoring in the cost of out-of-pocket purchases.

What Expenses Benefit the Employer?

Not every dollar a person spends on the job can be expensed. To qualify for reimbursement, these expenditures must benefit or convenience the company in some way. One of the most common examples is the cost of mandatory uniforms. This includes expenses related to cleaning them. Other examples of expenses that benefit the employer include:

• Depreciation of a personal vehicle
• Any materials expressly requested by an employer
• Mileage
• Trade tools required by the company

An attorney can provide insight into other situations where a failure to reimburse expenses claim might be valid. 

State Laws Vary from One Jurisdiction to Another

While the FLSA applies evenly across the country, some states, such as California, take a much more aggressive stance against the failure to reimburse expenses than others. In some states, there are no specific legal protections regarding expenses. While this is not ideal, workers may ultimately have breach of contract claims even in states without these specific protections. 

For example, employment contracts often discuss the process for reimbursement for work-related expenses. An employee could take legal action if a company agreed to handle reimbursement but failed to live up to those terms. 

Some states are more worker-friendly in these situations. For reimbursement to apply under the law, the expenses must be reasonable and necessary for a worker to perform their duties. In recent years, these reimbursements have largely focused on the cost of purchasing equipment that enables someone to work remotely. 

Because every state is different, relying on legal counsel with nationwide experience in pursuing hour and wage violation claims can be helpful. A lawyer can answer questions and develop a strategy for getting fair compensation for an employer’s failure to reimburse expenses. 

A Failure to Reimburse Expenses Attorney Can Help

For most people, having an employer refuse to cover the cost of necessary expenses is more than a minor frustration. You might spend thousands of dollars on work-related goods or services that should be the obligation of the business. Start your free and confidential case review with a failure to reimburse expenses lawyer.