Unpaid Wages, Overtime, & Expenses
In today’s pressured work environment, where every minute counts, it’s crucial that employees receive fair compensation for their labor. Unfortunately, unpaid wage and overtime claims are all too common, leaving many workers struggling to receive what they are rightfully owed. The expert attorneys at Rudy, Exelrod, Zieff & Lowe, LLP can help. But what constitutes a wage and hour claim?
What Is a Wage and Hour Claim?
“Wage and hour” actions can arise from many illegal employer practices, such as employee “misclassification,” where your employer treats you as exempt from overtime pay, or so-called “off-the-clock” practices, where your employer requires you to work uncompensated time outside of your scheduled work day, or where your employer does not fully reimburse you for your business expenses. Some examples of these illegal practices include:
- Time spent before you clock in changing into work gear
- Time spent after you clock out going through security checks
- Your employer does not reimburse you for gas or uniform purchases
- Your employer does not fairly pay you the commissions you’ve earned
- Your employer does not permit you to take required meal or rest breaks
These issues are governed by laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which establishes minimum wage, overtime pay eligibility, recordkeeping, and child labor standards. Despite these regulations, violations are frequent.
Experienced Legal Counsel in Wage and Hour Lawsuits
Rudy, Exelrod, Zieff & Lowe, LLP is recognized nationwide as a pioneer and a leader in the field of “wage and hour” class action law. Public advocacy groups often call upon our expertise to assist in reviewing and commenting on proposed statutory and regulatory changes, as well as to write “friend of the court” briefs on important wage and hour law issues. In addition, we have represented clients bringing claims under California’s Private Attorney General Act of 2004 (PAGA), and we have litigated both California and Federal WARN Act claims on behalf of workers who were laid off without notice.
Our class action cases encompass many industries and occupations, including:
- Insurance claims adjusters
- Refinery workers
- Retail employees
- Pharmaceutical sales representatives
- Computer technology workers
- Financial services professionals
The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid wages for our clients. We pioneered the use of class action litigation to recover wages under California law for large groups of employees and have extensive experience taking class action cases to trial and through appeal. We represent workers in cases throughout California and the United States and have brought some of the largest and most important unpaid wages cases, including a case that resulted in a jury verdict in favor of thousands of insurance claims adjusters, which ultimately resulted in a recovery of over $200 million for those workers.
We also successfully negotiated, with our co-counsel, a $65 million settlement for IBM computer technical workers who were forced to work unpaid overtime when IBM misclassified those workers as exempt employees. In addition, we led the trial team on behalf of over 100,000 baristas in a tip-skimming class action.
Seek Experienced Legal Representation for Compensation Claims
Don’t let unpaid wages and denied overtime diminish the value of your hard work. Every case is unique. We provide personalized attention to each client, developing a tailored legal strategy that addresses your specific situation and maximizes your claim. If you have questions about unpaid wages, overtime pay, commission compensation, unreimbursed expenses, or any other “wage and hour” matter, please contact one of our attorneys.