Unpaid Overtime, Meal & Rest, Minimum Wage & Penalties

The employment law attorneys at the Southern California law firm of Rheuban & Gresen are leading advocates of employee's rights. Attorneys Steven Rheuban and Solomon Gresen have comprehensive knowledge of state and federal wage and hour laws. We regularly investigate minimum wage violations, overtime violations and other unlawful wage and hour practices. To learn more about your rights as an employee or to discuss the specifics of your wage dispute, contact the employment lawyers at Rheuban & Gresen.

Overtime, Minimum Wage, Meal and Rest Break Laws

• Overtime laws: Employees who are paid hourly (nonexempt employees) are entitled to be compensated for overtime hours worked. Overtime is usually defined as any hours worked beyond 8 hours in one workday or beyond 40 hours in one week. In addition, the sixth consecutive workday in one week is ordinarily considered overtime. Employees who work such hours are usually entitled to overtime pay rate. There may be different rules for employees engaged in alternative work week schedules or part time schedules. Call an experienced lawyer at our firm to discuss your rights.
• Minimum wage laws: Effective January 1, 2007, minimum wage in California is set at $7.50 per hour. Effective January 1, 2008, minimum wage is set at $8.00 per hour. If you are not being paid full minimum wage for each hour you work, contact an experienced attorney to discuss a potential claim against your employer.
• Meal and rest laws: Employees working more than 5 hours in one workday are entitled to one meal period of at least 30 minutes. Employees working more than 10 hours are entitled to two meal periods of at least 30 minutes. On duty meals (such as meetings during lunch periods) should not be deducted from the employee's pay. Employees are entitled to at least one 10 minute rest period for every 4 hours worked.

Recovery of Lost Wages and Penalties for Wage and Hour Violations

While individual occurrences of such violations may seem minimal, the wages you lost over time can be quite extensive. For example, an employer who fails to provide a meal period or rest period to an employee is required to pay the employee a wage of one hour for each meal period or rest period missed in a given workday. When an employer makes a habit of such unlawful practices, the employer can face thousands of dollars in reimbursed lost wages, along with appropriate penalties.

Employers who underpay an employee (fail to pay overtime or minimum wage) may face the following penalties: $50 for each underpaid employee for each pay period underpaid (first occurrence); $100 for each underpaid employee for each pay period underpaid (each subsequent occurrence for up to one year). Other penalties may apply depending upon the nature of the case and the type of violation.

Our attorneys are also experienced in representing employees, particularly those with smaller claims, in class action litigation for violations of wage and labor laws which mandate minimum wage, overtime pay, and meal and rest breaks.

Contact a Los Angeles Unpaid Overtime Lawyer Today!

If you have questions regarding minimum wage, employee misclassifications, overtime or other wage and hour concerns, the law firm of Rheuban & Gresen can provide the advice and assistance you need. Our employment law attorneys can assess the situation and determine if there is a viable claim for recovery. Contact Rheuban & Gresen to discuss your case.