Call Center Employees

Call center employees are essential to many companies that depend upon their customer service skills to offer customers the assistance they need. Often the first point of contact for customers who need help, call center employees frequently work long hours addressing complaints, providing guidance, and helping find solutions to customer issues.

In an ideal world, all call center employees would feel appreciated and valued for their work and would be treated by their employers with fairness and respect. Call center employees are integral to the success of their employers and deserve nothing less. Unfortunately, there are many ways that call center employers can and often do violate the rights of their employees.

The Fair Labor Standards Act

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal statute that is one of many legal protections available to call center employees. The FLSA contains strict guidelines and requirements regarding employee rights. Under the FLSA, employees are entitled to be paid at least the federal minimum wage and overtime pay for all hours exceeding 40 hours in a workweek, in addition to many other protections offered to employees. Despite those strict guidelines, employers often continue to violate the rights of their employees.

Common Violations of Call Center Employee Rights

A few common violations committed against call center employees include:

• Refusing to pay overtime: All non-exempt call center employees are entitled to overtime wages at time and one-half if they work more than 40 hours per week. Companies cannot legally withhold this pay, and you are entitled to assert your right to fair and just compensation if they do.
• Engaging in behaviors that discriminate or create a hostile work environment: Everyone deserves to work in an inclusive environment, free of discrimination and harassment, where they are treated fairly and with respect. Everyone deserves to know that they can be free of retaliation or wrongful termination if they stand up for their rights or the rights of others. Numerous federal, state, and local laws, including Title VII and others, are in place to ensure this is the case. When an employer creates a hostile work environment in violation of these laws, you are entitled to assert your rights.
• Refusing to pay employees for work-related tasks performed before or after a shift: Call centers often require employees not only to arrive at their desks at the start of their shifts but also to be "call-ready" by the time their scheduled shift starts. This may consist of tasks like finding a workstation, starting computers, loading software, reviewing emails, and organizing lists before beginning the calls. Although this practice is not improper in and of itself, it's essential to realize that as an employee, you are entitled to be compensated for this time.

There are, of course, numerous other instances in which call center employees might need legal counsel. At Outten & Golden, we have extensive experience in fighting for the rights of call center employees in many different circumstances. We’ll always pursue the best legal strategies on your behalf.

OUTTEN & GOLDEN – EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS FOR CALL CENTER EMPLOYEES

At Outten & Golden, we are committed to protecting and defending the rights of call center employees. We are familiar with local, state, and federal laws that offer protection of call center employee rights, and we have extensive knowledge and experience successfully litigating a wide variety of call center claims.*

Regardless of whether you need assistance negotiating or disputing the terms of an employment contract, protecting yourself from harassment and discrimination, seeking the protection of applicable wage and hour and labor laws, or any number of other issues that may arise, we know the law, and we’re here to help.

If you are a call center employee and need legal guidance regarding an employment issue, please contact us to discuss your circumstances with a knowledgeable and experienced Outten & Golden attorney.

(*Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.)