Labor Law $4,500,000
Representative PAGA action involving alleged California Labor Code violations, including wage and hour related claims.
Glendale Wage and Hour Lawyer
You Earned It. We Help You Collect It.
Schedule Your Free ConsultationRECOGNIZED AND TRUSTED BY CALIFORNIA CLIENTS
Common Wage and Hour Violations We Handle
Wage and hour violations take many forms. Glendale employees frequently experience these illegal practices:
Unpaid Wages
Employers withholding final paychecks, refusing to pay for all hours worked, or making illegal deductions from wages.
Overtime Violations
Failing to pay time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond 8 per day or 40 per week, or misclassifying employees to avoid overtime pay.
Minimum Wage Violations
Paying workers less than California’s minimum wage or using tip credits that violate state law.
Meal and Rest Break Violations
Denying required 30-minute meal breaks or 10-minute rest breaks, or pressuring employees to work through breaks.
Employee Misclassification
Wrongly classifying workers as independent contractors or exempt employees to avoid paying overtime and providing benefits.
Wage Theft
Requiring off-the-clock work, altering timecards, or failing to reimburse business expenses.
Pay Stub Violations
Providing inaccurate or incomplete wage statements that don’t list required information under California law.
Time Rounding & Remote Work Rights
Improperly rounding employee time to reduce pay, or denying compensation for remote work activities like answering emails or attending virtual meetings outside scheduled hours.
Regular Rate of Pay Errors
Calculating overtime, sick pay, or meal break premiums based on base pay instead of the regular rate, which must include commissions, bonuses, and shift differentials.
We Recover What You're Owed
Your wages aren’t optional. Let us handle the legal process while you focus on your job and family.
Your Rights Under California Law
California provides stronger worker protections than federal law. Understanding these rights helps you recognize when your employer has violated the law.
| Right | Law | What It Means |
| Overtime Pay | CA Labor Code §510 | 1.5x regular rate for hours over 8/day or 40/week; 2x for hours over 12/day |
| Minimum Wage | CA Labor Code §1182.12 | California minimum wage applies; no tip credits allowed |
| Meal Breaks | CA Labor Code §512 | 30-minute unpaid break for shifts over 5 hours; second break for shifts over 10 hours |
| Rest Breaks | CA Labor Code §226.7 | Paid 10-minute break for every 4 hours worked |
| Accurate Pay Stubs | CA Labor Code §226 | Itemized wage statements showing hours, rates, and deductions |
| Timely Payment | CA Labor Code §§201-203 | Final wages are due immediately upon termination; within 72 hours of resignation, unless 72 hours’ notice is given. |
| Expense Reimbursement | CA Labor Code §2802 | Employers must reimburse business-related expenses |
| All Workers Protected | CA Labor Code §1171.5 | Rights apply regardless of immigration status; retaliation prohibited |
Federal Law Protections: The Fair Labor Standards Act establishes federal minimum wage and overtime requirements. California law typically provides greater protections, but federal law applies when it offers stronger coverage.
Protections Regardless of Immigration Status: California law protects all workers, regardless of immigration status. Employers cannot legally retaliate against you or report you to immigration authorities for asserting your wage and hour rights. This protection exists to prevent employers from exploiting workers by threatening them.
We understand that pursuing a wage claim involves personal risk. The decision to take legal action is yours. We’re here to explain your legal protections and help you make an informed choice.
When to Contact a Glendale Wage and Hour Lawyer
Contact a Glendale employment law attorney if you’ve experienced:
- Unpaid overtime despite working more than 8 hours per day
- Missed meal or rest breaks with no additional pay
- Off-the-clock work before clocking in or after clocking out
- Altered timecards that don’t reflect actual hours worked
- Misclassification as an independent contractor when you function as an employee
- Wage deductions that reduce your pay below minimum wage
- Delayed final paycheck after termination or resignation
- Inaccurate pay stubs, missing required wage information
Important Deadline: California law establishes a statute of limitations for wage and hour claims. You typically have three years to file a claim for unpaid wages, though some violations allow four years. Waiting too long eliminates your ability to recover what you’re owed.
Compensation Available in Wage and Hour Cases
Successful wage and hour claims recover multiple forms of compensation:
- Unpaid Wages: All wages owed for work performed, including regular pay, overtime, and double-time.
- Waiting Time Penalties: Additional penalties when employers delay final paychecks beyond legal deadlines.
- Meal and Rest Break Premiums: One hour of pay at your regular rate for each day your employer denied required breaks.
- Liquidated Damages: Additional compensation equal to unpaid wages in cases involving minimum wage violations.
- Interest: Statutory interest on unpaid wages from the date they were due.
- Attorney Fees and Costs: California law requires employers who violate wage laws to pay your attorney fees and legal costs.
- PAGA Penalties: Civil penalties recovered on behalf of the state and affected employees in Private Attorneys General Act claims.
The value of wage and hour cases depends on how long the violations continued, how much you earned, and how many employees were affected. Some cases recover a few thousand dollars for individual workers. PAGA claims against large corporations can recover hundreds of thousands or millions in penalties.
Why Choose HBK Lawyers
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$100 Million Recovered for Clients
Our track record demonstrates our ability to secure substantial compensation in employment law cases throughout Los Angeles County.
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Bilingual Legal Services
We provide complete legal representation in Spanish, ensuring all Glendale workers can access quality legal counsel.
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Contingency Fee Structure
You pay nothing unless we recover compensation. Our fees come from your settlement or court award, never from your pocket upfront.
Case Results
Labor Law $7,000,000
Wage and hour class and PAGA action involving alleged Labor Code violations affecting groups of California employees.
Labor Law $5,500,000
Wage and hour class and PAGA action involving alleged Labor Code violations affecting groups of California employees.
Labor Law $5,250,000
Employment-related dispute involving alleged workplace, compensation, or statutory violations.
Labor Law $4,500,000
Representative PAGA action involving alleged California Labor Code violations, including wage and hour related claims.
Labor Law $7,000,000
Wage and hour class and PAGA action involving alleged Labor Code violations affecting groups of California employees.
Labor Law $5,500,000
Wage and hour class and PAGA action involving alleged Labor Code violations affecting groups of California employees.
Labor Law $5,250,000
Employment-related dispute involving alleged workplace, compensation, or statutory violations.
Hear from Workers We've Represented
Proudly Serving Glendale and Los Angeles County
Our employment law firm serves employees throughout Los Angeles County, including Glendale, Encino, Burbank, Pasadena, and surrounding communities.
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Glendale Office
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Encino Office
16000 Ventura Blvd.
Suite 780
Encino, CA 91436
We've Helped Thousands of Workers. You Could Be Next.
With 50+ years of combined experience in California employment law, we know how to hold employers accountable when they violate worker protections. Let’s talk about what happened and explore your legal options.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wage and Hour Claims
You can file a wage claim with the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement without a lawyer. However, employment law attorneys provide significant advantages: we investigate thoroughly, gather evidence employers won’t voluntarily provide, calculate the full compensation you’re owed (including penalties you might not know about), and negotiate more effectively with employers who take legal representation seriously.
DLSE claims also have limitations. They don’t allow discovery, can’t pursue PAGA penalties, and may not address all violations in your case. For substantial wage violations or cases involving multiple employees, legal representation typically recovers significantly more compensation than self-filed claims.
Unpaid overtime remains the most frequently litigated wage and hour violation in California. Employers use numerous tactics to avoid overtime pay: misclassifying employees as exempt, requiring off-the-clock work, manipulating timecards, or simply refusing to pay time-and-a-half rates. Meal and rest break violations also lead to substantial litigation, as many employers pressure workers to forgo breaks without providing the required premium pay.
Settlement amounts vary dramatically based on how long the violations continued, your wage rate, and the number of employees affected. Individual claims for a single worker might settle for $5,000 to $50,000. Cases involving systemic violations affecting numerous workers can involve hundreds of thousands or millions of workers. PAGA claims against large corporations with widespread violations have settled for $10 million or more.
The value depends on unpaid wages owed, applicable penalties, the duration of the violations, your pay rate, and whether the employer acted willfully. We calculate your case value during your free consultation.
California provides a three-year filing window for most wage and hour claims, including unpaid wages and overtime. Some violations carry a four-year statute of limitations. Waiting time penalties (for delayed final paychecks) must be claimed within three years of the violation.
PAGA claims have a one-year statute of limitations from the date the violation occurred, making early action particularly important in these cases.
The clock starts when each violation occurs, not when you discover it. Don’t wait — contact us immediately if you suspect wage violations. Delayed action means potential lost compensation.