California Wage and Hour Lawyers

Helping Clients Seek Justice for Wage and Hour Violations

Recent studies have shown that employees in America lose thousands of dollars every year because of their employers’ wage theft. Federal, state, and local laws exist to protect you and your coworkers from wage and hour violations. If you have been taken advantage of or not paid what you are owed, you have the legal right to seek compensation. However, bringing a claim for violations of unpaid work or labor can be intimidating if done alone. That is when Justice Law Corporation can step in.

If you have been a victim of unpaid or underpaid wages, whether it be in regards to overtime, reimbursement for work expenses, off-the-clock work, prevailing wages, missed breaks, or any issue regarding compensation or working conditions, you may not know how to seek justice for these violations. It can be difficult to fight a large corporation that employs its own legal counsel. Most individuals aren’t familiar with the nuances of wage and hour disputes, making it challenging to pursue a successful lawsuit.

When you have your rights violated by your employer in any way, you deserve help from an employment lawyer with vast experience in employment law. At Justice Law Corporation, our knowledgeable and aggressive unpaid wages lawyers are ready to fight for you. Contact our legal team at 818-421-9470 to learn more about how our California unpaid wages attorneys can recover compensation for your injustice.

What Types of Cases Do Wage and Hour Lawyers Handle?

Wage and hour laws regulate how employees are treated. When violations occur, the employee should be able to pursue justice without fear of employer retaliation. However, the fact is that hiring legal representation is sometimes necessary to get treated fairly. This means finding a wage and hour lawyer to represent you in your unpaid wage claim.

Some examples of wage and hour violations that a wage and hour lawyer would handle include:

Minimum wage violations – Employers who fail to pay the minimum wage may be subject to penalty by law. The employee may seek recovery for unpaid wages and other penalties.
Failure to pay overtime – If an employer fails to pay overtime according to law and if the employee is eligible for overtime, the victim may take legal action. A failure to properly calculate overtime is also against the law.
Failure to provide meal or rest breaks – Non-exempt hourly employees have a right to lunch breaks or a rest break during their shift. If the individual is not provided timely, uninterrupted duty-free meal and rest breaks, the employer may be liable according to state laws.
Employee misclassification – One of the most common is classifying employees incorrectly as independent contractors or as salaried employees in order to avoid providing suitable benefits violates employment law.
Failure to reimburse – When employers fail to reimburse certain job-related expenses, such as travel expenses, cell phones, internet, office supplies, and tools, they can face wage and hour claims.
Failure to keep adequate records – Recordkeeping violations occur when the employer fails to keep records of hours worked, wages paid, overtime pay, and other critical information.
Improper calculation of wages – Improperly calculating overtime wages, bonuses, and incentives can cost you thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.

If you are experiencing any of the above, please contact our law firm right away. We have been representing employees for over a decade, and we will put our experience and knowledge to work for you.

What Are My Wage and Hour Rights?

All workers have legal rights that should be respected by their employers. State, local, and federal laws offer you protection as an employee when it comes to your wages.

Some examples of employee’s wage and hour rights in the United States include:

Payment according to your state’s minimum wage laws
Overtime pay when applicable
Regular and consistent rest breaks
Equal pay for equal work
The ability to take action in the case of unpaid wages or unfair dismissal without fear of retaliation

Understanding your rights is crucial when facing situations that require legal action. If you aren’t sure whether your employer violated federal or state law, you should speak with an employment attorney right away.

At Justice Law Corporation, we are more than happy to talk with you to discuss the unique details of your situation. We can help you understand your rights and get you the legal protection you deserve. Call us today for a free consultation.

What is a Class Action?

A class action is a lawsuit where a member or members of a group who have suffered similar violations collectively bring a lawsuit forward on behalf of that group. Class actions are an essential component of the American legal system and an excellent tool to achieve justice for large groups of people. They also advance public policy goals by serving as a sort of regulatory check on the behavior of large organizations that may otherwise suffer little consequences. Class actions are commonly used for various legal matters, including consumer protection, environmental issues, finance, and employment.

Typically, since the number of people affected is so numerous, it’s more efficient to reach a collective resolution. For example, if a company uses deceptive tactics to sell a product to a large number of consumers, each individual who was a victim of those deceptive tactics could be included in a class action against that company. Many of the people who were victims of those deceptive tactics may not even have been aware that a violation occurred.

Several elements have to be satisfied before a case can be certified as a class. These are numerosity, commonality, typicality, and adequacy. These elements mean that the class action must involve a sufficient number of people (numerosity), involve common factual issues or questions among the class members (commonality), and whether the class representative’s claims are typical or different from other class members (typicality), and whether the class representative is adequate to represent the class or they have any conflicts of interests (adequacy).

Once these elements are satisfied, the class representative must show that the questions of law or fact common to the class members will predominate over any questions only affecting individual members, making the class treatment an efficient way to resolve the comment question for all class members in a single case: Is the class action a superior method over individual action?

The Private Attorneys General Act

The Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), which has been called “California’s Hero Labor Law”, was crafted in 2003 to enforce California’s extensive workplace protection laws. A PAGA lawsuit, which is a representative action lawsuit similar to a class action lawsuit, is one of the most powerful tools that workers in California possess to address corporate wrongdoing. California has some of the strongest labor laws in the country. However, it’s too difficult and costly for the state of California to pursue all of the instances of workplace violations that occur. So, PAGA gives individuals the ability to act on behalf of the state to achieve justice for aggrieved workers through monetary penalties. A report published by the UCLA Labor Center in 2024 found that through PAGA, over $200 million dollars in penalties were collected in 2023 due to corporations violating California labor laws. More than 90% of these claims alleged wage theft. Further, PAGA actions outpaced by nearly three times the number of inspections the Bureau of Field Enforcement was able to conduct during this time period. Thus, PAGA lawsuits have been a more effective way to keep employers accountable in California.

While similar to class action lawsuits, PAGA lawsuits are not class actions. They are representative lawsuits where an employee steps in the shoes of the Attorney General – as a private attorney general – to bring claims on behalf of the State of California and the aggrieved employees. A PAGA representative does not have to satisfy the class action elements. However, PAGA lawsuits may only collect civil penalties as opposed to actual damages (unpaid wages). These penalties are then split, with 65% going to the State of California and 35% being shared among the aggrieved employees. Also, PAGA lawsuits have a more limited statute of limitations of one year versus four years in a typical employment class action.

What Cases Does Your Law Firm Handle?

Our legal team handles a wide range of cases. We are prepared to handle the needs of employees whose rights have been violated in any way.

Some specific forms of employment cases that we handle include:

Unpaid overtime – If you worked overtime or off-the-clock and were not compensated correctly, we can help.
Minimum wage violations – Our team of lawyers handles many forms of unpaid wages, including workers who are paid lower than minimum wage. We will evaluate whether your employer violated minimum wage laws and help you collect compensation.
Prevailing wages – All employees who work on public works projects must be paid a prevailing wage. Contractors and subcontractors can be fined up to $200 per day per worker who is paid less than the prevailing wage.
Independent contractors – Individuals who are incorrectly classified as independent contractors may be able to take legal action. We will also defend the legal rights of those who rightfully work as independent contractors.

A wage-and-hour attorney is one of your best allies in defeating unjust practices. However, if you wait too long, you could forfeit your right to legal action.

Call Justice Law Corporation today for helpful, caring lawyers who can achieve justice and advocate on your behalf. If your employer denies you minimum wage, rest breaks, overtime pay, or more, we will help stop the wage theft. Our lawyers will also seek justice on your behalf and protect others from being victimized by these illegal practices.

What Can I Do to Improve My Chances of a Successful Wage and Hour Claim?

Taking action following unfair treatment at work can be scary. However, there are certain actions you can take to protect yourself and get the best possible results from your legal suit.

Some ways you can improve your claim’s chances of success include:

Hiring a wage-and-hour lawyer to provide the legal counsel and representation you require
Keep track of crucial elements in your case, including missed wages, overtime worked, pay stubs, communication with your employer, and more
Acting quickly to avoid filing the claim outside the window provided by your state’s statute of limitations

Wage claims can be complicated and hyper-technical, making the process intimidating for those who do not work regularly in this legal field. You need a skilled attorney on your side who is familiar with the nuances of employment law. Contact the team at Justice Law Corporation today for wage-and-hour attorneys who can maximize your benefits and protect your rights.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer to Represent Me in My Wage and Hour Claim?

If your employer failed to pay you for hours worked, did not provide overtime pay or accrued vacation time, or violated your rights in any manner, you may need to take legal action. Before moving forward with your case, it is highly recommended that you speak with a trusted legal professional who can advise you based on your unique situation.

Some advantages of hiring a wage and hour lawyer with our firm are:

Personalized advice based on decades of experience
Representation from an attorney with detailed knowledge of employment law
Creative solutions to solve your legal problems
Experienced negotiation tactics to settle your case outside of court

Mistakes are all too common when it comes to wages, benefits, overtime, rest breaks, and more. However, when your employer refuses to correct a mistake, or worse, continues paying you less than you deserve, you should consider taking legal action with the help of a knowledgeable wage and hour lawyer.

Unpaid wages lawyers like those at our law firm will ensure that you get the payment, vacation time, breaks, and other benefits you have a right to as an employee. Call now to learn more about how we can help.

Should You Hire Our Wage and Hour Lawyers in California?

Employers have a duty to provide employees with a safe work environment, payment according to law, overtime pay, adequate breaks throughout the day, and the ability to seek compensation without fear of employer retaliation.

If your employer fails to provide the above or another benefit, you may be eligible for compensation. Our team of lawyers is proud to help victims of wage and hour violations seek justice and get the hourly rate they deserve.

When you need legal help to dispute a wage and hour issue, you can trust us to uncover the truth about what happened and defend your rights. We will communicate effectively with you throughout the process so you know what to expect. Our lawyers listen carefully and will address your concerns so you feel heard and valued.

Reach out to Justice Law Corporation immediately for the help you need. We operate on a contingency fee basis, so you won’t pay a thing unless we win your case. Call 818-412-9470 to schedule your complimentary case evaluation today!