Minimum wage, overtime, unpaid wages, penalties, and related payroll violations.
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, shave time, or rely on vague pay practices. Late final paychecks can trigger waiting-time penalties on top of unpaid wages.
Snapshot: Wage claims and forced arbitration
In Flowers Foods, Inc. v. Brock (), the U.S. Supreme Court held that a
distributor alleging underpayment could rely on a federal carve-out that keeps many transportation workers out of mandatory
arbitration—even though his route never left Colorado. If you move goods that originate out of state (warehouse pick-ups,
last-mile delivery, similar logistics), ask whether an arbitration clause actually applies before giving up on court.
Supreme Court opinion (PDF)
· Case brief.
