Los Angeles Wage and Hour Lawyer

If your employer has breached its legal duties regarding wages and hours, you may be able to recover damages for your wages and other compensation. Our Los Angeles wage and hour attorneys can help you enforce your rights. Aegis Law Firm understands the difficulty you may experience when your employer violates their wage and hours obligations to you.

• Aegis Law Firm represents employees who have suffered harm because of their employer’s violation of wage and hour laws.
• For over 20 years, we have been helping real people win the compensation they deserve.
• We serve individuals wronged at work throughout the Los Angeles and Orange County areas.
• Our trial-tested advocates have secured over $300 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients.

Let Aegis Law Firm assist you in fighting for your rights and getting the compensation you are entitled to. Your initial consultation is free, and if our Los Angeles wage and hour lawyers take on your case, you pay no fees unless we win. Contact us today at (949) 379-6250 to schedule your appointment.

California Wage and Hour Laws

A key aspect of the employer-employee relationship is the exchange of services for pay. Employees expect to get paid their due wages, fully and on time, after they have discharged their duties to their employer. When an employer fails to pay their workers as expected, it may cause undue hardships and destroy the trust in the relationship. Employers have a legal duty to abide by the laws regarding wages and hours in the state.

Minimum Wage

As of January 1, 2025, the statewide minimum wage in California is $16.50 per hour for all employers, regardless of the number of employees. Certain cities and counties, including Los Angeles, set higher local minimum wage rates that employers must follow. When local and state rates differ, the higher rate applies. As a result, the minimum wage in the city of Los Angeles is $17.87 as of July 1, 2025. 

Misclassifying Employees

Employers sometimes misclassify workers as independent contractors or exempt employees to avoid paying overtime, benefits, or payroll taxes. California law presumes that workers are employees unless the employer can prove otherwise under the ABC test established by Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5). Misclassified employees often lose wages, meal and rest breaks, and reimbursement for expenses.

If you have been mistreated by being misclassified as an independent contractor or exempt employee, contact our Los Angeles Los Angeles independent contractor misclassified lawyer to discuss your legal options today.

Overtime

California non-exempt workers are entitled to get paid overtime rates for all hours worked in excess of the legal workday of eight hours and the workweek of 40 hours.

• 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for hours worked beyond eight in a day or 40 in a week.
• Double time for hours worked beyond 12 in a single day or more than eight hours on the seventh consecutive day of work.

A worker’s right to overtime pay is not dependent on whether the overtime hours were authorized by their employer, they are entitled to overtime pay as long as the employer knew or should have known of the overtime.

Leaves of Absence

California law provides employees with protected leave for medical, family, and personal reasons. Examples include:

• California Family Rights Act (CFRA): Provides up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for medical or family care.
• Paid Sick Leave: All employees earn a minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.
• Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL): Provides up to four months of job-protected leave for pregnancy-related conditions.

Employers who deny these rights or retaliate against workers for requesting leave may face legal consequences.

Meal and Rest Breaks

California guarantees employees uninterrupted meal and rest breaks. Employers must provide:

• One 30-minute unpaid meal break for shifts over five hours, and a second 30-minute unpaid meal break for shifts over 10 hours.
• One 10-minute paid rest break for every four hours worked or major fraction thereof.

Employers cannot force employees to skip breaks, and they cannot pressure workers into working through breaks. If an employer fails to provide required breaks, the employee is entitled to one additional hour of pay at their regular rate for each day a violation occurs.

Common Violations of Wage and Hour Laws

There are many ways that employers violate wage and hour laws. Some of the more common violations include:

• Failure to pay minimum wage
• Failure to pay overtime at the rates prescribed by law
• Failure to pay on time
• Misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor or exempt
• Failure to reimburse for work-related expenses
• Failure to give breaks

If you are facing these or any other wage and hour law issues, or if you have faced retaliation because you questioned your employer about your wages and hours, a Los Angeles employment law lawyer can help you enforce your rights and get compensation for any damages you have suffered.

Employers Must Pay Nonexempt Employees for All “Hours Worked”

California law requires employers to pay nonexempt employees for every minute they spend under the employer’s control. This includes time spent performing tasks before or after a scheduled shift, such as setting up equipment, logging into computer systems, or undergoing security checks. Employers cannot require employees to work off the clock. Any time an employee is subject to the employer’s control or performing work duties must be fully compensated. 

California Wage and Hours Class Actions

Class action lawsuits are common in wage and hour litigation. A class action lawsuit is a legal procedure that allows one or more persons to prosecute a case on behalf of a larger group, or “class”, of people. For example, if all flight attendants employed by an airline may be represented by two or three flight attendants in a class action suit against the airline. Typically, if an employer is violating wage and hour laws against one employee, they are also committing the same violation against other employees in the same category.

This is why class action lawsuits are common in wage and hour litigation. A class action suit alleging the violation of employee rights is usually a more compelling case, with better chances of success, than an individual case.

Pay Requirements for Employees Who  Earn Commissions

Employees who earn commissions are still entitled to many wage protections under California law. Employers must:

• Provide a written commission agreement that clearly explains how commissions are calculated and paid.
• Pay at least the applicable minimum wage for all hours worked, even when commissions are the primary source of pay.
• Provide overtime pay if the employee is nonexempt and works more than eight hours in a day or 40 hours in a week.
  

Employers who fail to properly document or pay commissions may be liable for unpaid wages, penalties, and interest.

Pay Requirements for Employees Who Are Paid by Piece Rate

Employees paid on a piece-rate basis must receive pay for all time worked, not just for producing a measurable output. California law requires employers to separately compensate employees for:

• Rest breaks at the employee’s average hourly rate.
• Other nonproductive time such as attending meetings, waiting for equipment, or completing tasks not directly tied to production.

Employers must provide detailed wage statements that show both piece-rate earnings and pay for rest periods and nonproductive time.

Illegal Rounding of Hours

California courts have ruled that employers cannot use rounding practices that systematically deprive employees of wages. Employers must pay for the actual time an employee works, down to the minute. Rounding that consistently benefits the employer violates wage and hour laws.

For example, rounding clock-in times up to the nearest 15 minutes while rounding clock-out times down can unlawfully deny employees compensation. Employees affected by illegal rounding may recover unpaid wages and penalties.

Remedies and Damages Available to Employees

When employers violate wage and hour laws, California law is designed to ensure that workers recover not only the wages they earned but also additional damages. Depending on the type of violation, employees may be entitled to recover:

• Unpaid Wages: Recovery of all regular and overtime wages that were unlawfully withheld.
• Meal and Rest Break Premiums: One additional hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate for each day a meal or rest period was not provided.
• Waiting Time Penalties: If an employer fails to pay final wages on time after termination or resignation, the employee may collect a penalty equal to one day’s wages for each day the payment is late, up to 30 days.
• Interest on Unpaid Wages: Employees are entitled to interest on unpaid amounts until they are paid in full.
• Reimbursement for Business Expenses: Compensation for expenses employees paid out-of-pocket that should have been covered by the employer, such as mileage, tools, or uniforms.
• Penalties for Inaccurate Wage Statements: Up to $4,000 in statutory penalties for pay stubs that fail to show accurate hours, rates, or wages.
• Attorney’s Fees and Court Costs: Many California wage and hour laws allow employees to recover the cost of hiring an attorney if they prevail in their claims.

In some cases, courts may also award liquidated damages in an amount equal to the unpaid wages, effectively doubling the recovery. These remedies exist to make employees whole and deter employers from breaking the law again.

Why Hiring a Wage & Hour Lawyer in Los Angeles is Critical

Wage and hour claims in Los Angeles involve complex laws, strict deadlines, and aggressive defense strategies by employers. Employees who try to handle these cases on their own often face delay, confusion, or denial of rightful compensation. Hiring an experienced LA wage and hour lawyer ensures your rights are fully protected and enforced. An attorney can help by:

• Evaluating your case: Determining whether your employer violated California or federal wage laws.
• Calculating unpaid wages: Accurately identifying the amount you are owed, including interest and penalties.
• Handling employer retaliation: Protecting you if your employer punishes you for asserting your wage rights.
• Filing claims or lawsuits: Taking action with the California Labor Commissioner or in court to recover your earnings.
• Pursuing class actions: Representing groups of employees facing the same unlawful pay practices.
• Maximizing compensation: Negotiating settlements or litigating in court to obtain the full amount of wages and damages.

With legal counsel, you level the playing field against employers and their defense teams, significantly improving your chances of a successful outcome.

Contact Los Angeles Wage and Hour Attorneys for a Free Consultation

If your employer has violated California wage and hour laws, contact the Los Angeles wage and hour attorneys at Aegis Law Firm for help. Contact us at (949) 379-6250 to schedule a free consultation and assessment of your wage and hour law case.