Wage Dispute Attorney in Irvine

In Orange County, California, all employees have the right to hold their employer responsible in the event that their employer feels to properly pay them the compensation they are owed. However, this takes a highly qualified Irvine employment law attorney to hold the employer responsible for their actions. Sometimes, employers may try to find loopholes to avoid paying their employees the amount that they are owed.

Sometimes, employees in Irvine are afraid of coming forward and reporting the fact that their employer paid them less than they are owed. California has several employment laws in place, but employers still try to take advantage of their employees.

What are examples of wage disputes in Orange County?

There are several different ways a wage dispute could come up since employers have different ways of denying their employees wages. Some examples include:

• Misclassifying an employee. An employer must classify an employee correctly. There are two types of employees, employees and independent contractors. Independent contractors are not afforded several rights, and may not have their taxes cut from their paychecks. Independent contractors are also not eligible for overtime hours, and sick pay. An employer then incorrectly categorizes their employees as independent contractors to prevent paying out wages the employee is owed.
• Not allowing employees to have a meal break. All employees must be afforded a meal break given the number of hours they have worked.
• Not allowing employees to have a rest break. Employees also should be allowed a rest break throughout the day, with 15 minutes for every 5 hours worked.
• Withholding tips that employees are owed. This especially happens to employees who are in hospitality or customer service.
• Failing to pay any vacation time employees have accrued. Unfortunately, there are circumstances where an employer may refrain from paying their employees vacation time, which is considered a violation of federal employment law.
• Paying lower than what the standard minimum wage is.
• Deducting money owed to their employees and instead the employers pay themselves.
• Manipulate or falsifying an employee’s time clock to pay less than they should.
• Failing to pay a severance package to an employee who has been terminated. 

There are so many different ways an employer can withhold wages from their employees. That is why we highly recommend that you speak to our attorneys to discuss your specific circumstance and situation. We recommend that you speak to an experienced Irvine employment attorney who has dealt with a similar circumstance to yours before. When it comes to employment law, having an attorney who has represented victims of employment violations is crucial. Inexperienced attorneys may not give you enough one-on-one time, and may not be able to recover compensation for all of your losses.

Can I file a lawsuit for wage theft in Irvine?

California protects employees who are hourly or receive a salary from their employer and allows employees to hold their employers responsible for any wage theft. This means that any commissions, bonuses, overtime hours, vacation hours, or meal breaks that the employee is afforded fall under wage theft.

What is employee retaliation?

• One of the most common concerns why employees fail to speak up even if their employer is violating federal law is because employees are afraid of getting fired or any type of retaliation by their employer. Workplace retaliation is considered a violation of the employee’s rights. For example, an employer cannot fire the employee, reduce the employee’s hours, transfer the employee, or harass and assault the employee simply because they spoke up about being owed wages.
• Unfortunately,  workplace retaliation is common, with many employees being too afraid of speaking up. Rest assured that having a qualified lawyer will help you get the compensation you need.

What will our employment attorneys do?

• Our unpaid wage lawyers represent employees who have been taken advantage of by their employers and have been denied the wages that they deserve. Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, and make sure that our clients get the care they need. This means that our clients do not pay our attorneys upfront. And if we are unable to win compensation for our clients, our clients always pay nothing. We want to make sure that we earn our clients’ trust, and we communicate with them throughout the entire process to make them feel as comfortable as possible. We know how devastating it could be to come forward and report unpaid wages, and that is why we are here to help.
• Our attorneys have a successful track record of holding employers responsible for their illegal actions.
• Our top-rated attorneys are highly rated by the community as experienced employment attorneys.

Which industries have wage disputes often?

Below are some industries where wage disputes are more likely to occur. Although wage disputes could occur in almost any industry, the below are the most common: 

• Construction: Construction workers usually work with contractors and subcontractors. Many employees may work long hours and may be denied overtime.
• Agriculture: Those working in agriculture should be afforded meal breaks and rest breaks. Employers oftentimes deny those types of breaks to their employees.
• Security: Those working in security are expected to always be on watch. But, this does not mean that the employee cannot take breaks. Those working in security are afforded meal and rest breaks. 
• Restaurants: Those working in restaurants should be afforded their tips. 

Do I need a California wage theft lawyer?

Unfortunately, many employers withhold the compensation that their employees deserve. If you believe you have been a suspect of wage theft, you should be paid the old wages you deserve. But, sometimes many employers ignore or retaliate against an employee for speaking up and mentioning any wages that they are owed. This must then be escalated. A highly qualified attorney on your side will help ease the process as we focus on negotiating and communicating with the at-fault party, so you don’t have to. 

Also, wage theft occurs with multiple employees at a time. You may have other co-workers who have experienced the same type of circumstance. Having an attorney represent you during such a difficult circumstance is important. It will also increase your chances of getting all the compensation you are owed. 

Overtime And Unpaid Wage Irvine Lawyer Near Me

We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients in making sure that they get the care they need. Give us a call today to discuss how you could get top-rated care from our Irvine attorneys as soon as possible. When it comes to filing a wage dispute in Irvine, the time limits could get tricky. First, you must decide what type of lawsuit you are filing. Once that has been decided, you could then file the claim or the lawsuit. We recommend that you speak to our attorneys as soon as you think you have a potential wage dispute claim against your employer. The faster you act, the faster you can protect your interests. 

All employees working in various industries, such as agriculture, technology, manufacturing, textiles, and healthcare, all deserve to be paid the wages that they work. When an employer refuses to pay, an employee has the right to speak up and get the compensation they need.