You can file a lawsuit to obtain the money. However, unless it is a very large amount, you will probably not be able to get an attorney to handle the case on a contingency basis. For that reason, you might want to consider filing a complaint with the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. Keep in mind that you can only recover overtime pay for a period of two years prior to the filing of a lawsuit. That means that every day you wait, you lose some of the overtime.
It is unlawful to terminate an employee because he has filed a complaint with the Department of Labor regarding an overtime issue. Even so, you employer probably won't be happy that you filed a complaint against them. I recommend that you consult with an experienced employment attorney to discuss your options.
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