Unpaid Wages and Overtime Lawyer in Los Angeles

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Wage theft is common and often goes unnoticed. California's wage laws are strict, and they don't require that the employer meant to underpay you.

Consultations are free and confidential, and you pay no attorney's fees unless we win your case. If we don't win, you owe nothing, including case costs.

Under Labor Code section 510, most non-exempt employees earn 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 8 in a workday or over 40 in a workweek, and for the first 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek. They earn 2 times their regular rate for hours over 12 in a workday, and over 8 on the seventh consecutive day.

Unpaid overtime. Off-the-clock work before clocking in, after clocking out, or during meal breaks. Misclassifying employees as exempt salaried workers or as independent contractors. Paying below the state or local minimum wage (many Los Angeles-area cities have higher minimums). Unpaid meal and rest break premiums. Unreimbursed work expenses, such as a personal phone or mileage (Labor Code section 2802). Late or incomplete final paychecks.

Back wages plus interest, liquidated damages for minimum wage violations, penalties (including waiting time penalties of up to 30 days' wages for late final pay), and attorney's fees. Wage claims generally reach back three years, and in some cases claims under the Unfair Competition Law reach back four years.

You can file a wage claim with the California Labor Commissioner, or bring a lawsuit. A lawyer can help you decide, especially if other employees were affected or you also have retaliation or discrimination claims.