Human Resource Blog

After 8 Years They Changed My Pay in Texas

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I have worked for this company for 8 years, we were recently merged with another company, when we recieved our checks today everone’s hourly rate had been cut by a dollar, Can they do this without any notice or do we have a legal complaint? Thank you, Floyd Breneman, Waller Texas

According to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Labor Law Section, the Texas Payday Law requires an employer to pay the wages that the employee and the employer agreed upon, on payday.

The employer does not have the right to change the employee’s hourly rate, without consulting him or her. The employer may change an employee’s wages, but only if the worker is informed in advance, before the work is performed.

The agent at the TWC Labor Law Section suggested that the employee in this question file a wage claim with the TWC against the employer. Here’s a link for the form in English and Spanish. Claims must be filed within 180 days. For more information, contact the TWC Labor Law Section at 1-800-832-9243.

The Texas Payday law requires employers to pay most workers at least twice per month. Employees who are not entitled to overtime pay under the federal FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) may be paid just once per month.

The Texas Minimum Wage Act requires that employers will provide an earnings statement to the employee which includes the hours worked, rate of pay, total amount of pay for the period and any deductions.