Burbank Wage and Hour Lawyer

California law gives employees strong rights to be paid for the work they perform. When an employer withholds wages or ignores required breaks, the financial strain can build quickly. Pay violations can also make it difficult to know whether payroll records are accurate.

At LNN, our employment attorneys help workers understand what happened and what legal action may be available. A Burbank wage and hour lawyer from our firm can investigate payroll records and workplace practices, then pursue a claim when the facts support one.

Unpaid Overtime and Off-the-Clock Work

California Labor Code Section 510 generally requires non-exempt employees to receive one and one-half times their regular rate after eight hours in a workday or 40 hours in a workweek. Hours past 12 in a single day generally earn double the regular rate. Employers also must pay for all hours worked, including time they knew or should have known an employee was working.

Our Burbank wage and hour attorneys can review time records against pay records to identify unpaid time. Our firm can also examine whether an employer improperly treated a worker as exempt from overtime rules.

What Rights Apply to Meal and Rest Breaks?

California Labor Code Section 512 sets meal-period requirements for covered employees. Cal. Lab. Code § 226.7 addresses required meal and rest periods and provides premium pay when an employer fails to provide a compliant break. Employers may violate these rules by pressuring employees to work through breaks or by maintaining schedules that prevent lawful breaks.

For employees in Burbank, a wage and hour attorney from our firm can examine schedules and timekeeping practices to determine whether missed breaks support a claim. We can also assess whether related pay records accurately reflect the employee’s time.

Wage Statements and Final Paycheck Rules

Cal. Lab. Code § 226 requires employers to provide accurate itemized wage statements. Errors involving hours or pay rates can make it difficult to determine whether an employee received everything owed. When employment ends, California also requires final wages to be paid on time. When an employer willfully withholds a final paycheck, Cal. Lab. Code § 203 allows waiting-time penalties that run for as long as 30 days.

Our wage and hour attorney serving Burbank can seek unpaid wages and interest. Statutory penalties may also apply. Depending on the case, an employee may file a wage claim with the California Labor Commissioner or bring a lawsuit in court. We can assess which path fits the facts and procedural needs of the claim.

Employee Misclassification and Filing Deadlines

Misclassification can affect whether a worker receives overtime and other wage protections. An employer may wrongly label a non-exempt employee as exempt. A business may also call a worker an independent contractor even when California law treats that person as an employee. Under the ABC test, a business may treat a worker as a contractor only when the worker stays free of the company’s direction, handles work beyond the company’s core business, and maintains an independent trade of the same nature. Some exceptions use a different legal test.

Our wage and hour attorneys handling Burbank claims can review the worker’s actual duties and working relationship instead of relying only on labels. Unpaid-wage claims generally must be filed within three years. Some related claims may reach back four years under California’s Unfair Competition Law, so prompt legal review can matter.

Contact Our Burbank Wage and Hour Attorneys

If your employer failed to pay you correctly, LNN can review your situation and explain your options. A Burbank wage and hour lawyer at our firm can handle matters involving pay practices and employee classification.

Contact our firm for a free consultation. We handle qualifying employment cases on a contingency fee basis, which means attorney fees are collected from a recovery if one is obtained.