Los Angeles Unpaid Wages Attorney
You have the right to receive full payment for the hours you work. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act protects your right to at least earn the minimum wage, to be paid for every hour worked, to earn overtime wages, to have meal periods and rest breaks, to keep the tips you earn and to limit the amounts of deductions from your paycheck. California state laws provide similar protections as well. Unfortunately, employers are always looking for ways to save money or cut corners and that sometimes comes at the expense of employees.
If you have not been paid for hours worked, you may have a claim against your employer. Federal and California laws protect your right to get paid for work done. If your employer has violated the law or has unjustly withheld your wages, please contact Strong Advocates for more information about your legal rights.
Types of Unpaid Wage Violations
Here are some of the most common forms of wage violations that occur in California:
Hour violations: It is illegal to fail to pay employees for every hour worked. This means that employers cannot require workers to spend time working “off the clock.” This also means that it is illegal to make employees work through meal periods or rest breaks, to require unpaid training programs or to fail to pay employees for travel time and waiting time spent on the employer’s premises.
Minimum wage violations: The law requires employees to receive at least the minimum wage for all hours work. State law requires California’s minimum wage rates to increase incrementally until 2023, when California’s minimum wage will become $15.00 per hour. Counties and municipalities may establish higher minimum wages. It is against the law to pay employees less than the minimum wage or to make deductions that bring the employee’s total below the minimum.
Overtime wage violations: California requires that employers pay non-exempt employees overtime at the rate of one and one-half times the employee’s regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of eight up to and including 12 hours in any workday. Employers must also pay overtime for the first eight hours of work on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek. Employers are required to pay double time for all hours worked in excess of 12 in any workday; they must also pay double time for work in excess of eight on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek.
If you believe that your employer is violating California or federal law, it is advisable to raise the issue internally, in writing. Perhaps raising your concerns with the Human Resources or payroll department at your place of employment is all that is needed to fix the problem. If your complaints are not answered, then it may be in your best interest to contact Strong Advocates.
An Los Angeles employment lawyer at Strong Advocates can advise you if you should file a wage claim with a state agency or file a lawsuit in court, depending on the facts of your case. If a number of workers are affected by the employer’s wage policies, you may have the basis for a class action. If you have been denied the wages you rightfully deserve, please contact Strong Advocates at (800) 260-1495 for a comprehensive and confidential consultation.
