Unpaid Wage Lawyer in Glendale, Burbank, and Pasadena

Unpaid Wages

Unpaid wages can result from a wide range of unlawful employment practices, including unpaid overtime, employee misclassification, missed meal and rest break premiums, off-the-clock work, illegal paycheck deductions, and minimum wage violations. California and federal labor laws protect every employee's right to be paid in full and on time. When an employer fails to meet these obligations, workers may be entitled to recover unpaid wages, penalties, interest, and other compensation.

Pursuing a wage claim can feel daunting — especially for employees who are still working for the employer they'd be filing against and worry about retaliation. At Tapanian Law, we help California workers understand their rights and pursue the wages they've earned, while protecting them from unlawful retaliation along the way.

Unpaid Overtime

California law requires employers to pay overtime to eligible employees who work more than a standard number of hours in a day or week, at an increased rate of pay. Some employees are exempt from overtime rules, but many workers are misclassified as exempt when they shouldn't be. We evaluate your job duties and pay structure — not just your job title — to determine whether you've been shorted overtime pay you're owed.

Employee Misclassification

Employers sometimes classify workers as "exempt" employees or independent contractors to avoid paying overtime, providing meal and rest breaks, or covering other wage and hour protections. Misclassification can strip workers of pay and benefits they're legally entitled to. We review the actual work being performed to determine whether a misclassification has occurred and what compensation may be owed as a result.

Missed Meal and Rest Break Premiums

California employees are generally entitled to meal and rest breaks during their shifts. When an employer doesn't provide a compliant break — or pressures employees to work through one — the employee may be owed a premium payment for each missed, late, or interrupted break. These violations often add up significantly over the course of employment, especially in industries where breaks are routinely skipped.

Off-the-Clock Work

Employees must be paid for all hours worked, including time spent on tasks before clocking in, after clocking out, or during unpaid breaks — such as answering emails, prepping a workstation, undergoing security checks, or finishing customer interactions. If your employer expects work to be done "off the clock," that time may be compensable, and we can help you document and pursue those unpaid hours.

Minimum Wage Violations

Every employee is entitled to be paid at least the applicable minimum wage for all hours worked, and some cities — including those in the greater Los Angeles area — set minimum wages higher than the state rate. Paying a flat salary, piece rate, or commission that fails to meet minimum wage requirements for every hour worked is unlawful. We help workers calculate what they should have earned and pursue the difference.

Business Expense Reimbursement

Employers must reimburse employees for necessary business expenses incurred in the course of their work. This commonly includes office supplies, equipment, uniforms, internet access, gas, and mileage. If you've been paying out of pocket for work-related costs your employer should be covering, you may be entitled to reimbursement.

Personal Cell Phone Use: Many employers today expect employees to use their personal cell phones for work — answering calls, replying to texts or emails, checking work apps, or staying reachable during and outside of scheduled shifts. When an employee is required to use a personal phone for work purposes, the employer generally must reimburse a reasonable portion of that expense, even if the employee's phone plan wasn't affected by extra charges or has unlimited data. This applies whether the phone is used briefly and occasionally or as a regular part of the job, and it doesn't matter whether the employee ever complained about the cost. Employers frequently overlook this obligation entirely, or try to satisfy it with a flat stipend that doesn't reflect the actual value of the required use. We help employees calculate what a reasonable reimbursement should have looked like and pursue the difference.

Schedule a Free Consultation

If you believe you are owed any wages, contact Tapanian Law for a FREE consultation with one of our overtime attorneys in Glendale.