SANTA BARBARA COUNTY (805) 845-1190 | BAKERSFIELD (661) 369-8510

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Wage-And-Hour Violations

Making Sure You’re Paid What You’ve Earned

No one likes to feel cheated out of their pay for the work they’ve done. When employers refuse to compensate you appropriately, we’ll take matters into our own hands and make sure justice is served. Our lawyers have years of experience and knowledge about labor laws so we’ll find out what you’re owed and aggressively fight for your rights when need be.

How Do Wage and Hour Claims Happen?

Even though pay rates, meal breaks, rest breaks, and other regulations seem straightforward under the law, employers are often surprisingly unfamiliar with the California Labor Code. Both misunderstandings and intentional disregard of the law may result in:

  • Employee misclassification – labeling you an independent contractor instead of an employee entitled to overtime and paid breaks, for example;
  • Work schedules that violate wage and hour laws;
  • Improper payment of wage rate if you worked overtime or double time; and
  • In some egregious cases, employers who ask you to work off the clock without compensation.

It’s important to know that even if an unintentional violation results in lost wages, your employer owes you proper compensation for the time you spent at work.

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Current California Laws

When it comes to wage and hour laws, California requires employers to adhere to certain pay rates and conditions: 

  • Overtime in a workday: Non-exempt employees must be paid 1.5 times their regular pay rate when they work more than 8 hours in a workday (“time and a half”). If the employee works more than 12 hours in any workday, they must be paid at least 2 times their regular pay rate (“double time”).
  • Overtime in a workweek: On the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek, non-exempt employees must earn 1.5 times their regular pay rate for the first 8 hours worked. Any additional hours worked must be paid at least 2 times the regular pay rate.
  • Sick time: California employers must provide paid sick leave for employees who work at least 30 days in a year.
  • Vacation time: California does not require employers to provide employees with paid or unpaid time off. If provided, the policy must comply with accrual and vesting laws. And, if you are entitled to paid vacation time at your job, your employer cannot withhold pay or punish you for using it.
  • Meal and rest breaks: Non-exempt employees must be given a 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked and a 30-minute meal break after 5 hours of work.
  • Bonuses or commissions wages: These must be paid within a specified time period after being earned by the employee. Employers cannot withhold these wages as a form of retaliation or when the employee leaves their employment.

CONTACT US TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE CONSULTATION

Get Help Getting Paid

When was the last time your employer paid you late? Did they deny you breaks? Is it possible they misclassified you as an independent contractor when they shouldn’t have been? If so, then give our experienced wage violation claim lawyers a call today. They’ll stand up for you and make sure that justice prevails. Email us or call or office in Bakersfield at (661-369-8510) or in Santa Barbara at (805-845-1190) to schedule an initial confidential consultation at no charge. Se habla Español.