California Wage and Hour Lawyer - Fighting for Your Pay
Expert California wage and hour lawyer protecting workers from unpaid wages, overtime violations, and meal break denials. Our employment law attorneys fight for California labor law compliance and employee rights.
In plain terms
These cases focus on whether you were paid everything California requires—minimum wage, overtime when you were non-exempt, final wages on time, and premiums when rules about breaks were violated. Industries follow wage orders and Labor Code rules that can trip up employers who misapply exemptions or shave time.
Common wage-and-hour claim types
Frequent issues include unpaid overtime, meal and rest break premiums, wage theft, misclassification, expense reimbursement, and PAGA representative actions for Labor Code violations.
Try our wage & hour calculator for a rough unpaid-overtime estimate—then confirm with counsel.
Evidence that often matters
- Pay stubs, time cards, schedules, and punch edits
- Texts directing off-the-clock work
- Job duties vs. exempt titles on offer letters
- Break policies that exist on paper but not in practice
- Final paycheck timing after separation
Deadlines and next steps
Wage claims may go to the Labor Commissioner (DLSE), court, or both depending on strategy. Limitation periods differ for unpaid wages, penalties, and PAGA. Act before records disappear.
Frequently asked questions
- Does my job title control overtime?
- No. Exemptions turn on actual duties and salary structure, not the label on your business card.
- What if I was paid a salary?
- Salary alone does not make you exempt. Many salaried workers still owe overtime under California tests.
- Can I recover missed meal and rest break premiums?
- When employers fail to provide compliant duty-free breaks, premium pay may be owed—often one hour of pay per violation type per day under the applicable rules.
- What is PAGA?
- PAGA lets eligible employees pursue civil penalties for certain Labor Code violations on behalf of themselves and other aggrieved employees. See our PAGA practice page.
- What does a Los Angeles wage and hour attorney handle?
- Claims against employers for unpaid wages, missed meal and rest breaks, overtime violations, misclassification, and related Labor Code penalties—often with DLSE or court options.
- Do I need a local LA wage and hour lawyer?
- California wage rules are statewide, but Los Angeles workers benefit from counsel who know local employer patterns, CRD/DLSE timing, and how LA-area cases are typically litigated.
- What do employment and labor lawyers help with?
- Employee-side counsel typically handles wrongful termination, workplace discrimination or harassment, retaliation, unpaid wages, leave interference, and related claims.