Costa Mesa Wage and Hour Lawyer

Costa Mesa Wage and Hour Attorney

Employees shouldn’t need to fixate on their hours and wage statements to be certain they align with the law—but some employers make that vigilance necessary. If your employer has violated your rights regarding overtime hours, meal and rest breaks, or paying your wages on time, consult a Costa Mesa wage and hour lawyer to understand what steps you can take to advocate for yourself.

Contact an Employment Lawyer to Understand Your Legal Rights as a California Employee

The lawyers at Canlas Law Group have been a pillar in California’s legal community for years. Together, we’ve helped recover thousands in settlements for our clients. We bring our professional experience and niche legal knowledge into every new case while understanding that no two cases are truly the same and each one requires a thoughtful, custom strategy. Let our team take care of your case so you can focus on your well-being.

Common Wage and Hour Violations in the California Workplace

In 2023, the top industries in Costa Mesa were retail trade with 7,181 workers, professional, scientific, and technical services with 7,052 workers, and health care and social assistance with 6,569 workers.

The top employers in Orange County in 2024 included Disneyland Resort, employing 36,000 Orange County workers, the University of California, employing 34,085 workers, and Providence, employing 25,155 Orange County workers.

Major corporations aren’t the only employers who overstep when it comes to an employee’s legal rights. Examples of wage theft include:

• Not being allowed to take rest or lunch breaks
• Not being allowed to use paid sick leave or accrued time off
• Being paid less than minimum wage or not receiving the agreed-upon wages
• Having unauthorized deductions from your paycheck
• Not being paid promised bonuses
• Bounced paychecks
• Not being allowed to access personnel files or payroll in a timely manner
• Not receiving final paychecks in a timely manner

These tactics are often manipulative and done through coercion or pressure. Workers may feel like they have to comply in order to keep their jobs. If one of these actions has happened to you, hire a wage and hour lawyer to help guide you through the next steps in your case.

Steps to Take After Experiencing Wage Theft

Workers in California have the right to file a wage claim if their employer doesn’t pay them the wages or benefits they are legally owed. Residents of Costa Mesa who have experienced wage theft and consulted with an attorney can file a claim at their local Labor Commissioner’s Office. In Costa Mesa, this office is located at 2 MacArthur Place in Santa Ana. This process helps workers recover their unpaid money.

Once your claim is filed, the Labor Commissioner’s Office will open an investigation into the matter. Then, a settlement conference between the employee, their lawyer, and the employer is scheduled to resolve the wage theft.

If an agreement cannot be made during the settlement conference, a hearing is then scheduled, where a hearing officer will review the provided evidence and make a decision about the wage claim.

Deadlines to File Your Wage Theft Claim in California

There are specific deadlines for filing a wage claim. They are:

• One year for bounced checks or failing to provide access to payroll or personnel records
• Two-year deadline for an oral promise to pay more than minimum wage
• Three-year deadline for violations regarding minimum wage, overtime pay, unpaid meal and rest breaks, sick leave, unlawful pay deductions, or unpaid business expense reimbursements
• Four-year deadline for a written contract

While these deadlines may seem long, it’s important to act quickly when you first recognize you’ve been a victim of wage theft. Preserving relevant evidence can become difficult, and your financial losses will only continue to grow as time passes. If you fail to file within the proper deadlines, your case will most likely be dismissed.

FAQs About Costa Mesa, CA Wage and Hour Law

What Is the Minimum Wage in California in 2026?

The minimum wage in California in 2026 is $16.90 per hour for all employers in the state. However, certain workers have higher minimum wages. For example, as of 2024, fast food restaurant employees earn a minimum of $20 per hour. The federal minimum wage is $7.35 per hour and has been in effect since 2009. If state law is higher than the federal minimum wage, that is the minimum wage that applies.

What Evidence Do I Need for My Wage Claim in California?

In California, having extensive evidence for your wage claim is essential to increasing your chances of success. This includes your employer’s name and address, information about supervisors or managers, and a record of all the hours you worked, including meal and rest breaks. Include copies of your pay stubs to show your pay rate, hours worked, deductions, and employer information.

What Do I Do if My Employer Retaliates Against Me for Reporting Wage Theft?

If your employer retaliates against you for reporting wage theft, you’ll need to file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner’s Office within one year of the retaliatory act. It is illegal for employers to retaliate against employees for exercising their legal rights. Retaliation can manifest in being fired or suspended, being passed over for promotions, being demoted, being excluded from work events, being heavily criticized, or having your pay or hours reduced.

What Are California’s Overtime Rules?

California’s overtime rules state that if an employee works over eight hours in one day, they have to be paid 1.5 times their regular pay for those extra hours. This law also applies when a worker works over 40 hours in one week, and applies to the first eight hours worked on the seventh day of a workweek. If an employee works over 12 hours, their pay for those extra hours is double their normal pay.

Hire a Wage and Hour Lawyer Today

Contact Canlas Law Group today to schedule a confidential consultation at our office in Cerritos. Our lawyers pride themselves on their compassion and empathy throughout the entirety of legal proceedings. We value complete transparency, letting our clients take the reins during their case. We assist clients who live in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, and throughout Southern California.