San Francisco Wage & Hour Attorneys

San Francisco Wage & Hour Attorneys

Employees across the United States have many protections when it comes to their employment relationships and compensation. Both federal and state laws aim to prevent employers from taking advantage of employees and, therefore, have specific requirements for wages and hours on the job.

While every employer should fully understand and comply with all applicable employment laws, many companies fail to do so, depriving employees of wages they earned. Whether your employer made a simple mistake or intentionally tried to cut corners at the expense of you and other employees, you have the right to seek your unpaid wages. 

It can be difficult to know your rights or the best course of action to take to protect those rights. Contact San Francisco wage and hour attorneys you can trust at Olivier & Schreiber, LLP today. 

Wage and Hour Laws for California Employees

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was enacted in 1938 to help regulate wages for workers across the United States. However, in the decades since, California has enacted its own wage and hour laws that give employees more protections and rights than FLSA. In California, all employers must comply with the California Labor Code and the Industrial Welfare Commission’s Wage Orders.

These laws not only set out requirements for employers but also penalties and relief for employees when their rights are violated under wage and hour laws. 

Common Violations

There are many different ways employers can violate labor laws and employee rights, such as:

• Misclassifying nonexempt employees as exempt to avoid compliance with overtime or other labor code provisions
• Misclassifying employees as independent contractors
• Failing to provide minimum wage compensation for all hours worked
• Not paying overtime rates for hours worked in excess of 40 per week or eight per day
• Not compensating employees for all hours worked and expecting work “off the clock”
• Taking unlawful deduction from employee paychecks
• Not reimbursing employees for all reasonable business expenses
• Not compensating employees for unused vacation time when the employment relationship ends
• Failing to provide proper meal and rest breaks, or expecting employees to work or be on call during breaks
• Not providing paychecks or time or a final paycheck

If an employer commits any of the above violations, they can face penalties from the government, as well as owe employees all of their unpaid wages. 

It is important for employees to come forward and seek legal help to stand up for their rights under wage and hour laws. In some cases, one employer might have deprived many employees of their rights due to widespread violations. These employees might be able to combine their cases against the employer to make the process go smoother. 

Let Our San Francisco Wage and Hour Attorneys Protect Your Rights

At Olivier & Schreiber, LLP, our San Francisco wage and hour attorneys can evaluate whether your employer violated the law and how to best seek the compensation you deserve. We handle all types of wage and hour cases, including class actions. Contact us for more information today.