How far back can I claim unpaid wages in Glendale?

California wage claims generally reach back three years, and up to four years when brought under the Unfair Competition Law. Some penalties have shorter windows, so it is wise to act before the oldest unpaid amounts expire.

My employer calls me salaried — am I still owed overtime?

Possibly. A salary alone does not make you exempt. Exemption depends on your actual job duties and meeting a minimum salary threshold. Many salaried Glendale workers are misclassified and are legally entitled to unpaid overtime.

How is California overtime different from federal law?

California pays overtime by the day. You earn 1.5x after 8 hours in a workday and 2x after 12 hours, on top of the usual 40-hour weekly rule. Missed or interrupted meal and rest breaks also each trigger an hour of premium pay.

Can I file with the Labor Commissioner instead of suing?

Yes. The California Labor Commissioner (DLSE) offers an administrative wage claim process. A court lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court may be better for larger or complex matters. We can review your situation and recommend the right path.

How much will a wage lawyer cost me?

Most unpaid-wage cases are handled on contingency with no upfront fee. California law also shifts attorney's fees onto an employer who violated the wage laws, so a prevailing employee can often have those fees paid by the employer.

Glendale Wage and Hour Lawyer

Glendale is home to attorney Mihran M. Ghazaryan's practice, and he represents Glendale employees — never employers — when wages go unpaid. If you were denied overtime, lost meal or rest breaks, were misclassified as exempt or as a contractor, or never got your final paycheck on time, California law may entitle you to back wages and penalties. Our state's rules are stronger than federal law: daily overtime, premium pay for missed breaks, and attorney's fees shifted onto an employer who broke the law. Most wage cases run on contingency, so there is no upfront cost. Consultations available in English, Armenian, and Russian.

Unpaid Wages & Overtime matters in Glendale

Wage issues across Glendale's economy

Glendale's workforce spans healthcare, retail, hospitality, financial and back-office services, auto dealerships, entertainment and media support, and the city's busy network of small and family-owned businesses. Those last two categories matter: in close-knit operations, employees are often told to "help close up," skip a break during a rush, or stay past the schedule without their hours being recorded. Healthcare and elder-care roles bring their own pattern of missed meal periods and automatic break deductions, and retail and restaurant work along Brand Boulevard and the Glendale Galleria area frequently generates off-the-clock and overtime disputes.

This is not an accusation against any particular Glendale employer. It is simply where the law and everyday practice tend to collide, and where employees most often discover they were underpaid.

What California guarantees you

Overtime in California is figured by the day, not only the week. You earn 1.5x your regular rate after 8 hours in a workday and after 40 hours in a week, and 2x after 12 hours in one day. Non-exempt employees must receive an uninterrupted 30-minute meal period before the end of the fifth hour and paid 10-minute rest breaks. A missed, short, or interrupted meal or rest break entitles you to one hour of premium pay for that day.

Being paid a salary does not by itself make you exempt. Exemption turns on your real duties and a minimum salary level. Calling an employee "exempt," or treating a worker as an "independent contractor" to dodge overtime, is misclassification — and off-the-clock work is owed no matter how it is logged. Even small amounts of unrecorded time add up over months and years.

Final paychecks and the LA County courts

California sets firm deadlines for your last paycheck — immediately on the day of an involuntary termination, and within 72 hours when you quit without notice. If an employer willfully withholds final wages, waiting-time penalties under Labor Code §203 can add up to 30 days of extra pay. Most wage claims look back three years, and up to four years under the Unfair Competition Law.

Because Glendale sits in Los Angeles County, a court wage lawsuit would generally be filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court. You can instead bring an administrative claim through the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE). Attorney Ghazaryan can explain which route fits your facts and handle the filing for you.

What it costs

California's wage statutes shift attorney's fees onto a violating employer, so these cases are usually handled on contingency — no hourly bills, payment from a recovery or fee award. Save your pay stubs and schedules and ask for a confidential review.

How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with unpaid wages & overtime

Mihran M. Ghazaryan reconstructs what you were actually owed from pay stubs, schedules, and the hours you really worked — the overtime, off-the-clock time, and missed breaks an employer hoped you wouldn't track. He tests a 'salaried' or 'contractor' label against your real duties, and pursues the penalties California stacks on top of unpaid wages. These cases are typically contingency, with fees often shifted onto the employer that broke the law.

Types of wage and hour claims we handle

Unpaid overtime & off-the-clock work

California overtime starts after 8 hours in a day (not just 40 in a week), plus double-time rules. Work performed before clocking in or after clocking out is compensable.

Meal & rest break violations

Employees are generally owed a 30-minute meal period and paid rest breaks; missed or interrupted breaks trigger premium pay.

Misclassification & final pay

Being labeled 'exempt' or an independent contractor to avoid overtime, and waiting-time penalties when final wages aren't paid on time.

What you may be able to recover

Every wage claim case is different, but California law lets wronged employees pursue several categories of relief. We document each one — pay records, performance reviews, communications — so nothing is left on the table.

Back pay and lost benefits

Wages, commissions, and benefits you lost from the date of the wrongful act — a core remedy in wrongful-termination and discrimination claims.

Front pay

Future earnings you're likely to lose when reinstatement isn't realistic, measured until you can reasonably be expected to find comparable work.

Emotional distress

Compensation for the anxiety, humiliation, and harm to wellbeing that unlawful treatment at work can cause.

Penalties and punitive damages

Statutory penalties for wage violations, and — where an employer acted with malice or oppression — punitive damages meant to deter the conduct.

Attorney's fees and costs

Many California employment statutes shift the employee's reasonable attorney's fees and costs onto an employer that broke the law.

Reinstatement and policy change

Where it fits the case, getting your job back or forcing the employer to correct the practice that harmed you.

How we work

Free, confidential consultation

We listen first and tell you plainly whether you appear to have a claim. The conversation is confidential and there's no fee to have it — and we're careful if you're still employed.

Preserve the record

Offer letters, handbooks, performance reviews, emails and texts, pay stubs, and a dated timeline. The contemporaneous record is what wins an employment case, so we lock it down early.

Administrative exhaustion and the demand

FEHA claims generally require a complaint with the Civil Rights Department and a right-to-sue notice first. We handle that step, then present a documented demand to the employer.

Litigation when necessary

Many matters resolve through negotiation or mediation. When an employer won't be reasonable, we file and prepare the case fully — which is usually what moves the number.

What to do right away

Keep your pay stubs, schedules, and any record of hours actually worked.

Note when you missed or were interrupted during meal and rest breaks.

Save communications about your classification, duties, and pay.

Don't rely on memory alone — contemporaneous records drive these claims.

Talk to a lawyer about whether to file with the Labor Commissioner or in court.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.