Wage & Hour Attorney in Woodland Hills

26 Years of Employment Litigation, Fighting for Every Dollar You’re Owed

At The Law Office of Payab & Associates, we represent employees in Woodland Hills who haven’t been paid what California law requires. With 26 years of employment litigation experience, our team handles the full spectrum of wage and hour disputes under one roof: unpaid overtime, misclassification, final paycheck penalties, and everything in between. You don’t need a different attorney for each violation type. We handle them together.

If your employer has shorted your wages, skipped your breaks, or retaliated against you for speaking up, call our Woodland Hills employment attorneys today at (818) 918-5522.

Wage Violations We Handle

Wage and hour violations take many forms. We review pay records, schedules, and workplace policies to identify which laws your employer may have broken. Common violations include:

• Unpaid overtime: Hours beyond 8 in a day or 40 in a week that were never compensated at the required rate
• Missed meal and rest breaks: Employers who skip, shorten, or interrupt legally required breaks without paying the premium penalty
• Off-the-clock work: Time spent before or after a shift, during “voluntary” training, or on call that was never recorded or paid
• Minimum wage shortfalls: Pay that falls below the applicable California or local minimum wage
• Employee misclassification: Being labeled exempt, independent contractor, or salaried to avoid overtime obligations you’re actually owed
• Illegal deductions and tip pooling: Unauthorized deductions from paychecks or tips diverted to ineligible employees
• Retaliation: Wrongful termination or adverse action after complaining about unpaid wages or missed breaks, which can carry its own legal consequences for the employer

California Wage & Hour Rules That Protect You

California Labor Code Section 510 sets overtime at one and one-half times your regular rate for hours beyond 8 in a workday or 40 in a workweek, and double your regular rate for hours beyond 12 in a workday or beyond 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day. These thresholds are daily, not just weekly, which means many employees may be owed more than they realize.

Nonexempt employees are entitled to an unpaid 30-minute meal break after five hours of work, and a second if the shift exceeds 10 hours. Paid 10-minute rest periods apply for every four hours worked, meaning two rest breaks on a standard 8-hour shift. Under Labor Code Section 226.7, each missed meal break or rest period can entitle you to one additional hour of pay at your regular rate. Employees working in the City of Los Angeles should also know that the citywide minimum wage rises to $18.42 per hour on July 1, 2026.

Filing Deadlines for Wage & Hour Claims

California sets different statutes of limitations depending on the claim type. As a general guide:

• Three years for minimum wage, overtime, illegal deductions, or unpaid reimbursement claims
• Four years for violations of a written contract
• Two years for claims based on an oral promise to pay above minimum wage
• One year for failure to provide compliant itemized wage statements

Because each underpaid paycheck can start its own limitations clock, older violations may fall outside the window while more recent ones remain recoverable. Acting sooner can preserve more of what you’re owed. Waiting time penalties under Labor Code Section 203 may also apply when a former employer fails to deliver final wages on time, potentially adding up to 30 days of additional wages.

How a Wage Claim Moves Forward

Employees generally have two paths: an administrative wage claim filed with the California Labor Commissioner (also called the DLSE) or a civil lawsuit in Superior Court. The Labor Commissioner process begins with a settlement conference and, if no agreement is reached, moves to a formal hearing where an opinion is issued. Either side can appeal. Civil court is often the better fit for larger or more complex cases involving multiple violation types or class-wide claims.

We evaluate your records, advise on which path fits your situation, and negotiate settlements or pursue litigation as the case requires.

Serving Woodland Hills & the San Fernando Valley

Wage and hour cases involving Los Angeles County employers follow both California state labor law and local court procedures. The Van Nuys Courthouse serves as the Los Angeles County Superior Court location for San Fernando Valley communities including Woodland Hills, Reseda, and Tarzana, and we know the procedural landscape for cases filed there. Whether your employer operates in Woodland Hills or elsewhere in the county, California law can cover you.

Why Employees Choose Our Firm

We focus on employment law, which means our litigation experience runs deep on the exact claims employees bring: wage disputes, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Clients come to us because more than two decades of employment litigation translates into practical knowledge of how employers defend these cases and what it takes to pursue a fair result. We represent clients in both English and Spanish. Se habla Español.

Talk to a Wage & Hour Lawyer in Woodland Hills

Contact The Law Office of Payab & Associates to discuss your situation with a wages attorney who represents employees, not employers. Call us at (818) 918-5522 to get started.