Wage Theft & Hour Disputes: Claim What You Earned
Every hour you work deserves honest pay. Unfortunately, many employers in California try to boost their profit margins by cutting corners on employee compensation. They might force you to work through lunch, avoid paying overtime, or ask you to perform duties “off-the-clock.”
But here is what you need to know: These shortcuts are illegal. It is wage theft, and you have a right to get your money back.
At Rastegar Law Group, we have spent over 30 years helping workers reclaim their lost wages. We have a combined 108 years of experience holding employers accountable for labor violations. Let us help you recover what you are rightfully owed.
Wage and Hour
Are You Being Denied Your Pay?
Check the signs of Wage and Hour Violations
Employers use a variety of tactics to shortchange their workers, hoping you won’t notice or won’t speak up. Use this checklist to identify if your wages are being stolen:
Unpaid Overtime
You are denied time-and-a-half (1.5x pay) for working over 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, or double-time (2x pay) for working over 12 hours in a day.
Missed Meal & Rest Breaks
You are pressured to work through 10-minute rest breaks, or your 30-minute meal periods are cut short or skipped without penalty pay.
Off-the-Clock Work
You are forced or expected to perform closing duties, attend training, clean up, or prep before or after your shift while logged out.
Unreimbursed Expenses
You pay out-of-pocket for work uniforms, safety gear, tools, mileage, or license fees your employer should cover.
Incorrect Paystubs
Your paystubs are missing required information, such as itemized hourly rates, total hours worked, or tax deductions.
Important Realization: Even if you signed an agreement saying you won’t seek overtime or expense reimbursements, that agreement is completely void under California law. Your labor rights cannot be signed away.
Taking Back Control: How We Help You
Confronting an employer about pay discrepancies is stressful. Many workers fear losing their job if they ask for their missing wages. We protect you and fight to recover every dollar.
Here is how we stand by you, step-by-step:
1
We Audit Your Records
Your pay records are carefully reviewed to identify unpaid wages and labor violations.
2
We Expose the Shortcuts
Payroll shortcuts and worker misclassification are uncovered with careful investigation.
3
We Protect You from Retaliation
Employees are protected from retaliation after asserting their right to unpaid wages.
4
We Recover Your Wages
Available recovery includes unpaid wages, interest, and California penalties.
Best of all, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means we charge no fee unless and until we successfully recover compensation for you.
The Legal Foundation: What Protects You?
California has some of the strictest worker-protection laws regarding wages:
Mandatory Meal Breaks
California employees are generally entitled to an unpaid 30-minute meal period when working more than 5 hours in a day, and a second 30-minute meal period when working more than 10 hours in a day, subject to certain exceptions and waiver rules.
Mandatory Rest Breaks
California employers generally must authorize and permit paid rest periods based on the total hours worked. When an employer fails to provide a legally required meal or rest period, the employee may be entitled to additional compensation.
Overtime and Double-Time rules
- Time-and-a-half (1.5x): Generally applies to hours worked over 8 in a workday or over 40 in a workweek, as well as the first 8 hours worked on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek.
- Double-time (2x): Generally applies to hours worked over 12 in a workday or over 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek.
Under California’s paid sick leave law, employees who work for more than 30 days in a year are entitled to paid sick leave. It is illegal for an employer to deny you sick pay or punish you for taking accrued sick days.
Why Rastegar Law Group
Three Decades. One Focus.
We’ve dedicated our entire practice to representing employees wronged by their employers — no corporate defense work, no divided loyalties.
Since 1991
Admitted to Practice
Over 35 years of exclusive focus on California employment law and worker rights.
108 Years
Combined Experience
Our attorneys bring deep expertise in the tactics employers use to avoid accountability.
Statewide
California Coverage
Offices in Los Angeles and San Diego. We represent workers throughout the entire state.
Let’s Talk About Your Case
Legal deadlines can arrive sooner than expected. Speaking with an attorney early can help preserve important evidence, protect your rights, and give you a clearer understanding of the path forward.