San Bernardino Wage and Hour Lawyer
Everyone working in California has the right to be paid for their time spent working, and there are many very specific wage-and-hour laws enforced at the state and federal levels that all employers must respect. Unfortunately, some employers attempt to take advantage of their employees’ lack of awareness of these laws or even commit flagrant violations of these laws to avoid meeting their financial responsibilities to their workers.
Assisting San Bernardino Clients With Wage-and-Hour Disputes
If you believe your employer has failed or refused to pay you correctly, taken unauthorized deductions from your paychecks, or illegally adjusted your work records to avoid paying overtime or double time, these are examples of wage-and-hour violations that can lead to civil litigation. A San Bernardino wage-and-hour attorney can help their client determine their best options for legal recourse in such situations, potentially assisting them in recovering more than just what their employers legally owe for their hours worked.
Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers, Inc., is a team of experienced San Bernardino employment attorneys who focus exclusively on labor and employment laws in California. We routinely represent clients in a wide range of difficult employment cases, including those pertaining to wage-and-hour violations. We stay up to date on the latest developments in employment law, especially when it comes to the state minimum wage and employers’ responsibilities with respect to employee pay. We also know how to uphold our clients’ wage-and-hour rights under federal law, and our extensive professional experience means we are capable of providing robust legal counsel in a wide range of difficult cases.
Commonly Reported Wage-and-Hour Violations
If you intend to pursue any type of legal recourse against an employer or former employer for a wage-and-hour violation in San Bernardino, it’s essential to ensure that they have appropriate experience handling cases like yours. You can rely on the team at Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers, Inc., to provide comprehensive legal counsel in many types of wage-and-hour cases, including those pertaining to:
- Unpaid wages. Employers must pay their employees for all time spent working. If an employer requires employees to work “off the clock” or simply adjusts their work records to pay them for less time than they actually worked, affected employees have the right to pursue compensation for all time they spent working.
- Illegal paycheck deductions. Employers may not take illegal deductions from their employees, and they must provide employees with paystubs that show tax deductions, employer-provided health care coverage premiums, and all other legal deductions. In addition, employees have the right to seek repayment for any and all illegal deductions, and employers who engage in this activity can face severe legal penalties beyond the damages they owe to affected employees.
- Refusal to reimburse. Employers may not require their employees to spend their own money for work-related purposes, and all employee expenses must be reimbursed. This can apply to travel expenses, purchasing extra supplies and materials in an emergency, or any other situation in which an employee spends money out of their own pocket for their employer’s benefit.
- Overtime and double-time violations. California’s overtime law applies in any situation in which the employee works more than eight hours in one day or more than 40 hours in a work week. Double-time rates apply when employees meet even greater thresholds of hours worked, and there are various rules that can all influence how much an employee should be rightfully paid when they work beyond the standard eight-hour shift, the typical 40-hour work week, or when they work several days in a row consecutively without a break.
- Minimum wage violations. California’s minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum wage, so all employers must meet the state’s requirements in terms of the minimum pay they can offer to their employees. If you believe your employer has failed or refused to meet the state’s minimum wage in paying you for your time worked, you have the right to seek repayment of the difference.
- Meal and rest break violations. Employees must be provided appropriate rest and meal breaks based on the number of hours they work in a shift. Some breaks are paid while others are not legally required to be paid, but employers that skirt their responsibilities with respect to employee meal and rest breaks can face wage-and-hour claims from affected employees.
Ultimately, any wage-and-hour claim could be worth much more than the affected employee initially expects. At a minimum, if your employer has violated state wage-and-hour laws in any way, you can expect repayment for the time you worked and the benefits legally owed to you. In addition, the right San Bernardino wage-and-hour attorney could potentially help you secure even more compensation for the adverse mistreatment you experienced. Additionally, your successful wage-and-hour claim could discourage the employer from attempting similar actions in the future, sparing others from facing the same issues you have experienced.
Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers, Inc., has the professional resources and legal experience you need on your side to maximize the results of your wage-and-hour claim. We know how daunting it can be to imagine filing any type of civil claim against an employer, and most people in these situations rightfully fear losing their jobs if they raise their concerns in any legal capacity. So, rest assured that when you choose Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers, Inc., to represent your wage-and-hour claim, we will seek maximum compensation under California law and assist you in addressing any and all related issues that might arise with your claim.
California Wages FAQs
Q: Is the 7-Minute Rule Legal?
A: The 7-minute rule is a grace period standard enforced at the federal level. Under this rule, an employer can round down an employee’s time worked by up to seven minutes. For example, if an employee worked for eight hours and seven minutes, the employer could legally mark the time worked as just eight hours. However, the California Court of Appeals has upheld that most employees will still break even under this rule if they work long enough. Rounding rules must be applied evenly and neutrally and may not be used only to round down worked hours.
Q: How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Employment Attorney in San Bernardino?
A: When you need to hire legal counsel for a wage-and-hour dispute in San Bernardino, it’s natural to worry about how much your legal representation will cost in light of the economic losses you have already suffered. Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers, Inc., accepts employment law cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning the client pays no upfront or ongoing legal expenses for our representation. Instead, our fee is a percentage of the client’s final case award, ensuring they have the ability to approach their case with confidence and secure the compensation they rightfully deserve.
Q: How Much Compensation Can I Recover for a Wage-and-Hour Violation in San Bernardino?
A: If you succeed with your wage-and-hour claim against an employer, you can expect, at the very least, to recover the amount you were supposed to be paid. However, a plaintiff will also be able to recover liquidated damages equal to a portion of the unpaid wages they are awarded. The exact value of your wage-and-hour claim in San Bernardino depends on many factors, and your attorney can provide a realistic estimate of your case’s total potential value.
Q: How Long Will My Wage-and-Hour Claim Take to Resolve?
A: The time required to complete your wage-and-hour claim depends largely on the scope of the losses you suffered. Your San Bernardino wage-and-hour attorney can help you calculate back pay, front pay, lost benefits, and economic damages you can include in your claim. Depending on the scope and severity of the defendant’s actions against you, it’s possible to recover additional compensation beyond economic losses and liquidated damages. For the best chance of maximizing your final recovery, it is essential to have legal representation you can trust.
Q: Is It Worth Hiring a San Bernardino Wage-and-Hour Attorney?
A: With a contingency fee agreement, you only part with a percentage of your total case award, and there are no upfront or ongoing legal expenses throughout your case. Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers, Inc., strives to maximize our client’s total compensation as much as possible. As a result, you could be legally entitled to claim far more than you expect, and our goal is to streamline your case as much as we can. Even after accounting for the cost of hiring our firm, we are confident that the results are likely to exceed your initial expectations.
Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers, Inc., knows how daunting it can feel to imagine taking legal action against your employer in San Bernardino. However, with the right legal team on your side, you can approach this complex and challenging situation with confidence and peace of mind. If you are ready to explore your options for legal recourse in response to a wage-and-hour violation in San Bernardino, we are ready to guide you through your proceedings. Contact Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers, Inc., today and schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced San Bernardino wage-and-hour attorney.