California's wage-and-hour protections are among the strongest in the country, and violations are common — unpaid overtime, off-the-clock work, missed or interrupted meal and rest breaks, misclassification as 'exempt' or as an independent contractor, and final paychecks withheld after separation. These claims carry penalties on top of the wages owed, and the recovery often reaches back years. We reconstruct the hours from pay stubs, schedules, and records to show what you were actually owed.
Our attorney
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.
What 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.
Remedies
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Deadlines that matter
Most California FEHA claims require a complaint with the Civil Rights Department first — generally within three years of the discrimination, harassment, or retaliation (Gov. Code §12960). You then have one year from the right-to-sue notice to file in court.
Other employment deadlines run on their own clocks — unpaid-wage claims generally reach back three years (up to four under the UCL), and a wrongful-termination-in-violation-of-public- policy claim runs two years. Federal EEOC charges can be far shorter.
Exceptions exist in both directions — discovery rules, minors, continuing violations, out-of-state defendants — so don't assume your deadline has passed or that you have time to spare. Call (818) 539-7969 and we'll tell you exactly where you stand.