Ventura Wage Claims Attorneys

• Unpaid Minimum Wage. All non-exempt California employees must be paid the state’s current minimum wage of $13 an hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees and $14 an hour for employers with more than 25 employees.
• Unpaid Double-Time. California employers must be paid double their normal rate of pay when they work in excess of 12 hours on any single day or when they work in excess of 8 hours on a Sunday after a 7-day workweek.
• Denied Meal Periods. California employers are required to offer a 30-minute, unpaid meal break to all non-exempt employees. Employees cannot be expected or asked to work while “off the clock.” If an employer makes you work through lunch, they are required to provide a “meal period premium” equivalent to 1 hour of pay. If they do not offer this compensation, you may be able to file a meal period wage claim for all denied meal periods over the previous 4 years.
• Denied Rest Break. California employees that work for more than 3.5 hours in a single work session must be provided with a paid 10-minute rest break. If an employer denies this rest break, the impacted employee is entitled to a rest break premium equivalent to 1 hour of pay. Employees being paid exclusively by commissions are also entitled to paid rest breaks in addition to their commission compensation.
• Unpaid Travel Time. Commuting between an employee’s home and a regular worksite does not qualify as a paid travel time. Employees may be entitled to paid travel time if they are required to meet at a different work location if the commute is longer than the employee’s ordinary commute. Travel also may be compensable if an employee is not allowed to use their own transportation or must travel as part of a company-sponsored business trip.
• Unreimbursed Business Expenses. California employers must reimburse employees for any expenses that they must incur in the course of completing their job responsibilities. This includes mileage. Note that employees cannot waive their right to be reimbursed as part of their employment contract.
• Failure to Pay Wages at Termination or Resignation. California employers are required to pay all outstanding compensation to employees within 72 hours of their termination or resignation. This includes reimbursing any remaining expenses, paying out accrued vacation time, and issuing a final paycheck with all relevant overtime and double-time pay. Employers that fail to meet this deadline can be subject to a substantial waiting time penalty.

If your employer owes you compensation, our team at Strauss & Strauss, APC can help you explore your legal options. Call (805) 303-8115 or contact us online today!