FAILURE TO PAY MINIMUM WAGE FOR ALL HOURS WORKED

For 2026, In California, the default minimum wage is $16.90 per hour. It changes all the time. In addition, different cities, counties, business district, and professions have their own minimum wage rates. It is best to call us at (714) 210-8000 to find out if you were not properly paid minimum wage. Minimum wage also has special legal meanings. For example, if you are entitled to prevailing wage pay because you do construction work on a government jobsite, but are employed by a private employer, the general prevailing wage is considered the minimum wage.

While there are a few exceptions, state law requires employers to pay almost all employees the minimum wage or higher. If you aren’t receiving the minimum wage, you may be able to file a claim against your employer. Only an experienced attorney can determine the value of your claim, which may include the wages you are owed, interest, penalties and other damages.

Failure to pay minimum wage can happen even if technically you are supposed to be paid more than minimum wage. For example, a worker earning $20 an hour ends up earning less than minimum wage if they are required to work 50 hours a week because 10 of those hours must be paid at $30.00 an hour and if the employee was only paid $1,000 for the 50 hour week when $1,100 was due ($800 regular wages and $300 for overtime).

Orange County Minimum Wage Attorney

At the Employment Lawyers Group, our attorneys have extensive experience litigating unpaid wages cases, including failure to pay the minimum wage. We have obtained multiple hundreds of thousands for cases involving the failure to pay minimum wage. In one case, we recovered $245,000 for an employee who worked at a farmers market. For another, we recovered $160,000 even though sometimes he earned more than minimum wage. Contact us to discuss your case and explain your options.

KITCHEN, RESTAURANT, HOTEL MINIMUM WAGE VIOLATIONS

Kitchen and restaurant workers experience high rates of sexual harassment and unpaid wages. While there are a lot of very nice restaurants in the Irvine, Newport Beach, and Costa Mesa area we receive a lot of calls about illegal tip pooling, wrongful termination, and other employment issues. Please reach out to us if you need an employment lawyer.

Protection for employees: if your employer fires you or punishes you for filing a failure-to-pay minimum wage claim, it may be subject to additional damages. If your employer takes the case to court and loses, it may be required to pay your attorney fees.

Contact a California Wage Claim Lawyer

To schedule a consultation with a Orange County failure-to-pay minimum wage attorney, call (714) 210-8000 toll free. We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis with no upfront costs. Se habla español.