Your employer must pay you at least the minimum wage. As of January 1, 2010, the minimum hourly wage in the State of California is $12.00 an hour for employers with 26 or more employees and $ 11.00 an hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees. The current minimum wage will increase to $ 1.00 each year from January 1, 2020, through January 1, 2022. For residents in the bay area, the current minimum wage in San Francisco is $ 15.00 an hour, increasing to $ 15.59 on 7/01/2019, in Berkley and San Jose is $ 15.00 an hour, and in Oakland is $ 13.80 an hour. Other counties also have local minimum wages and/or living wage ordinances. If you are paid on a piece-rate basis and make less than the minimum wage based on your piecework, your employer must make up the difference to pay you minimum wage.
Typically in California, if you work over 40 hours a week or over 8 hours a day, you must be paid overtime at the rate of 1.5 times your hourly rate. If you work more than 12 hours a day, you must be paid overtime at the rate of 2.0 times your hourly rate. If you work 7 days in a row, on the 7th day, you must be paid at the rate of 1.5 times your hourly rate for the first 8 hours and at the rate of 2.0 times your hourly rate for any hours after the first 8 hours for that day. If you work in the fields, overtime in California typically begins after 10 hours in a day have been worked.
An employer must provide an employee with a 30-minute meal period no later than the end of an employee’s fifth hour of work and a second 30-minute meal period no later than an employee’s tenth hour of work. Employers must also authorize and permit non-exempt employees to take a 10-minute paid rest break for each four hour work period, or major fraction thereof. A rest period is not required for employees whose total daily work time is less than three and one-half hours. If the employer fails to provide the meal or rest period as provided in the applicable Industrial Welfare Commission Order, you can recover one additional hour of pay at your hourly rate each workday that the meal and/or rest period is not provided. Thus, if you are not provided a meal and rest period in one work day as explained above, your employer may owe you two hours in wages (one hour for each violation).
If you are fired, your employer must pay you your final wages at the time of termination. If you quit without giving at least 72 hours notice, your employer must pay all your wages within 72 hours after you quit. You can recover up to 30 days of your wages if your employer willfully refuses to pay you at the time of discharge or quitting.
If you have been promised paid vacation time you must be paid the amount of vacation time you have earned / accumulated at the time you quit or are discharged.
You are entitled to get a copy of all your time cards and payroll records from your employer, even after you leave your job. You do not have to sign anything you do not understand. You are entitled to get copies of anything you signed at work. Keep anything that your employer gives you.
Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Orders define “split shift” as a work schedule which is interrupted by non-paid non-working periods established by the employer, other than “bona fide” rest or meal periods. Under applicable Wage Orders, section 4(c), “when an employee works a split shift, one hour’s pay at the minimum wage shall be paid in addition to the minimum wage for that workday, except when the employee resides at the place of employment.” Generally, you must be making the minimum wage to be entitled to a split shift premium.
To ensure that employees are compensated at least in part for reporting to work expecting to work a specified number of hours but are then sent home without working the scheduled hours, the Industrial Welfare Commission Orders require that each workday an employee is required to report to work, but is not put to work or is furnished with less than half of his or her usual or scheduled day’s work, the employee must be paid for half the usual or scheduled day’s work, but in no event for less than two hours nor more than four hours, at his or her regular rate of pay.
It is illegal for an employer to retaliate against you, including firing you or disciplining you for filing a claim for wages, or for exercising any right under the Labor Code, including asking to be paid the minimum wage or overtime. Your employer cannot fire you for refusing to talk to him or her alone, if you think s/he wants to discuss a disciplinary matter about you. You have the right to have a co-worker present.
Keep Records: Always keep track of your hours (time you start and end, and if a meal period is provided) and the dates and days you work. Write this information on a calendar every day and keep it in a safe place.
Know Who Your Employer Is: Many workers do not know the full name of their employer in English. Keep all your check-stubs and W-2 forms. Make a copy of your paychecks before cashing them. Keep all of this information in a safe place for at least four years. If you are paid in cash, look for the name of the employer on a business card, on company automobiles, or other places where the name might be displayed. Write down your boss’s license plate number.
If you are Undocumented: California Labor Code § 1171.5 provides in part that immigration status is not relevant to an employee’s right to recover wages. You have the right to minimum wage and overtime pay and other wage and hour protections, even if you do not have work documents.
In order to recover your wages, it is important that you have the following information:
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I highly recommend Ike Kaludi and his team for anyone needing legal assistance in personal injury cases. Ike's extensive experience was evident and very helpful throughout the process. He was always ready to explain each step, discuss all possible outcomes, and provide examples from previous cases, which greatly aided my understanding and decision-making.
We operate on a Zero Fee Guarantee for personal injury and employment-related cases. This means that you don't pay any attorney's fees unless we recover compensation for you. In other words, if we don't win your case, you don't owe us anything. This is a common practice for plaintiff law firms and ensures that our clients can pursue justice without worrying about upfront costs.
Additionally, the cost of a consultation is free for personal injury and employment-related matters. You should feel confident contacting our firm to learn more about your case and how we can help you seek compensation for your injuries or employment issues.
Most of the attorney fees and litigation costs, when the case is successful, are typically covered by the money recovered from your case. However, it's important to note that if a client decides to terminate our services before a resolution is reached, they may be responsible for any attorney fees and litigation costs incurred up to that point. No recovery, no charge is our standard practice, and we are committed to providing you with the best legal representation without financial risk.
When selecting a legal professional to represent your case, it is important to find someone with high credentials, worthy memberships, and a proven record of obtaining success for clients. These are indicators of an attorney's dedication and skills. At California Trial Law Group, we hold membership on the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Consumer Attorneys of California, the Alameda County Bar Association, California Employment Lawyers Association, and various other organizations dedicated to representing injured individuals and employees. Our lawyers have received high marks by clients and peers on Superlawyers and AVVO.
Lawsuits are subject to California's statute of limitations; a set of laws that limits the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit. Below are some common deadlines to watch for:
You must file a personal injury lawsuit within two years of the accident or the date you discovered the injury. If you are filing suit against a government entity for personal injury, you only have six months.
Aggrieved ex-employees who have been wrongfully terminated must file their claims within two years of termination. Even though California is an at-will state, employers cannot fire their employees for an illegal reason, such as their ethnicity, age, or gender.
Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) discrimination claims are a two-step process because claimants have one year to file administrative complaints under the FEHA, and then an additional year to file a lawsuit after they receive a right-to-sue letter.
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) Retaliation Claims: Similar to FEHA, a person loses the right to file a lawsuit one year after the CFRA agency sends a right-to-sue letter.
Most unpaid wage claims are subject to a three-year statute of limitations. Under the Unfair Competition Law (UCL), the time period is extended to four years for unpaid wage claims under the Unfair Competition Law, while wage statement claims must be brought within one year.
If you were injured in a preventable accident or in connection with your employment, then you likely have reasonable cause for a claim. By contacting our firm, we can help you make this determination.
Speak with a lawyer immediately after you seek medical help for your injury. Get the medical attention that you need, then contact an attorney about your legal rights and options. Your health is the most important thing, but your future, finances, and rights are important too.
The value of a personal injury claim or lawsuit depends on a multitude of factors: the extent of your injuries, your medical expenses, your emotional damages, and more. If you missed work because of an injury, you can seek additional compensation for lost wages. Schedule a consultation with our firm to learn more about your legal opportunities after an accident.
The duration of any case is subject the particular circumstances of that case. We will be better able to answer this question after reviewing your case and determining how to best move forward. You can call our firm today for a free consultation.
Our firm is dedicated to your case and will take the time necessary to ensure that you receive all that you deserve, even if it does take years. We will take care of as much of the process as possible, so you don't have to lose valuable time and can focus on your medical treatment and recovering.
Many insurance companies have a base equation that they use to calculate settlement offers. Unfortunately, this initial amount is usually insufficient because insurance adjustors usually try to save the insurance companies money . Thus, victims should not seek to close their case too quickly, but consult a personal injury lawyer to receive a fair offer. California Trial Law Group ensure that the insurance companies treat our client's fairly, that they not undervalue your case, and that you will ultimately receive a favorable settlement.
You may receive compensation for past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of earnings, property damage, and for other expenses you incurred. In the case of wrongful death, the family may receive an amount to cover the loss of future income as well as loss of companionship. As part of our service, we will discuss in detail an amount of compensation that you deserve and that we will fight for to obtain.
No. Many cases are settled out of court. Our firm, however, is well prepared to take a defendant to court if they do not give our client the amount that we feel our client is entitled to.
We are a firm dedicated to serving the needs of our clients and your best interest come first and foremost. When you are looking for reliable, unyielding legal representation there is no better firm to turn to than California Trial Law Group.