Wage and Hour Lawyer in California
Helping Orange County Workers Get The Compensation They Are Owed
California workers have the right to a fair wage under California and federal laws. They are owed a minimum wage, including a higher rate for overtime and hazardous work, so long as they work for a covered employer. Workers are guaranteed rest breaks and meal breaks, as well as additional compensation if those rights are violated. Employers, unfortunately, do not always follow the rules. They may try various tactics to avoid paying workers what they owe. If an employer forces you to work without proper compensation, that constitutes wage theft. Do not let an unscrupulous employer underpay you for the work you have performed.
If you have been underpaid, had your hours unlawfully reduced or undercounted, been denied benefits, or otherwise had your rights as a California employee violated, you need a passionate, experienced, and aggressive employee rights attorney on your side. At Invictus Law, P.C., our southern California wage and hour attorneys know the law and understand your rights. We fight for our clients to get the compensation they are legally owed for the services they have rendered. Let us take your employer to task for refusing to pay you the wages you are owed.
California Wage & Hour Laws
California is one of the most employee-friendly states. As a California employee, you are guaranteed a higher minimum wage than the federal wage, and the minimum may be even higher depending on your county. The California labor code guarantees you various rights, and you may have even more in your employment contract. Depending on your employer, you may have rights, including the following:
- Minimum wage
- Overtime
- Meal breaks
- Vacation leave
- Sick leave
- Holiday leave
- Jury duty leave
- Severance pay
- Voting leave
Some of your rights guaranteed under California law include:
- A minimum wage of $11 for small employers and $12 for employers with 26 or more employees
- Overtime pay at a rate of 1.5x for work above eight hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, and 2x for work over 12 hours in a day
- For employees who work more than five consecutive hours in a day, you are entitled to a 30-minute (unpaid) meal break, as well as a 10-minute paid rest period for every four hours worked
- Protection from retaliation for taking jury duty leave
- Unpaid sick leave, including at least three days per year for full-time employees
Employers must comply with California and federal laws. If they violate your rights, you are entitled to sue for damages, including back pay for what you owe and additional penalties.
Common Wage and Hour Violations
Employers commit wage and hour violations in a variety of ways, some more obvious than others. Some may be difficult to detect for months or years. It is vital that you understand your rights as an employee.
Some of the common causes of wage and hour violations include the following:
- Falsely classifying employees as exempt from receiving overtime pay
- Refusing to record or pay the proper rate for overtime work
- Failing to provide employees with an uninterrupted meal break or 10-minute rest break within the requisite time period
- Failing to provide a second meal break for 10-hour shifts
- Telling workers to mark fewer hours on their timesheets than they actually worked
- Failing to ensure that employees paid by the project are meeting minimum wage requirements
- Employers failing to provide pay stubs with all required information (including gross wages earned, hourly rate, deductions, net wages, etc.)
If you suspect that your employer has been violating your wage and hour rights, a dedicated wage & hour attorney can help you investigate and build a case for recovery. You and your coworkers may even have grounds for a class action if the wage and hour violations are systematic across the entire company. You can help not only yourself but also your current and former coworkers get the just compensation they deserve.
Call Invictus Law For Help With Wage and Hour Claims In Orange County And The Inland Empire
If your employer has been consistently underpaying you or your coworkers and you need dedicated, compassionate help bringing a claim for relief, contact a talented, knowledgeable, and effective Orange County wage & hour claims lawyer at Invictus Law at 949-287-5711, serving Orange County and the Inland Empire with offices in Orange and Ontario.
