Unpaid wages and overtime
Every hour you work is owed to you
Wage theft is the most common problem we see, and often the easiest to prove.
Overtime is time and a half for hours over forty in a week, for most hourly workers and many on a salary. Calling you a manager or a contractor doesn't change that if the work says otherwise.
Time spent putting on gear, waiting to clock in, or finishing a shift after you clock out is work. Tips belong to the people who earned them. Your last paycheck has to arrive on time.
We add up what's missing from your records and your memory, send a demand, and take it to court when we need to. Federal law can double what you're owed when an employer had no good reason.
Where wages go missing
Off-the-clock work
Prep, cleanup, security lines and calls after you clock out.
Overtime at straight time
Paid the same rate past forty, or split across two pay names.
Tips that don't reach you
A manager in the tip pool, or a fee taken off card tips.
Called a contractor
No overtime, no taxes withheld, but they set your hours.
What workers ask about pay
I don't have my pay stubs. Can I still claim?
Yes. Your own notes, texts about shifts and even a calendar count. The employer has to keep records too, and we can ask for them.
Will I get in trouble for complaining?
Punishing you for asking about your pay is itself illegal, and we treat it as a second claim.
Does my immigration status matter?
Wage laws protect workers whatever their status. We don't ask about it to take a wage case.
Talk it through with a staff attorney
Four questions tell you if we can take it. A call tells you where you stand.
Our help is free for workers who qualify. If a case goes to court, filing and transcript costs can come up; we ask the court to waive them when we can, and we tell you before any cost is yours.