How Should I Respond to Employee Complaints About Pay?

Handling Employee Complaints About Pay

"Complaints about pay" could cover a broad range of things. Employees may simply feel they are not paid enough- so long as you are meeting minimum wage requirements, you have no legal obligation to address those complaints (though depending on the situation you may need to in order to keep a valued employee).

You may also hear a complaint that someone is not being paid equally to someone else who does a similar job. In general, you are allowed to pay people differently. BUT- if the comparison is between employees of different genders, you will want to get advice about the Equal Pay Act.

Finally, an employee complaint about any wage and hour violations- not being paid on time, not receiving earned commissions, not being paid as a W-2 employee- is protected activity under Massachusetts law. If any action is taken against that employee that could be seen as motivated by their complaint, you could face a retaliation suit.

If you have employee complaints or grievances about pay, it is a good idea to consult with an employment lawyer to determine the best way to respond.

Learn more here about employee complaints about pay.