Unpaid wages and overtime
When the paycheck runs dry
Most pay problems are small at first: fifteen minutes before the clock-in, a tip pool that shrank, an overtime rate that looks like the regular one. They add up to real money over a year.
Bring your pay stubs, your schedule and anything that shows the hours you worked, even screenshots of a group chat. We do the arithmetic and tell you what the claim is worth before anyone is asked to sign anything.
Common versions of this problem
Work done before or after you clock in
Overtime paid at the regular rate, or not at all
Tips, commissions or bonuses withheld
A final paycheck that never arrived
What we look at
Where the missing hours hide
Wage claims are a paper trail. These are the places we dig first.
Work before the clock starts
Opening, closing, cleanup, pre-shift meetings and the calls you take at home.
Overtime
Hours past forty in a week, and whether the rate you were paid is the one the law requires.
Tips and commissions
How tips were pooled, who kept a share, and how a commission plan was changed after the sale.
Contractor labels
A 1099 for work that is run like a job, with set hours, tools and a boss.
Final pay
What was owed on your last day, and what the employer says about the deductions.
Paper trail
Time clocks, schedules and pay stubs. We ask for them if you do not have them.
Questions about a pay claim
Can I make a claim if I still work there?
Yes. Many people do, and an employer may not punish you for it. We talk through the risks and the timing with you first.
I do not have all my pay records. Is that a problem?
Not always. Your own notes, texts and schedules count, and an employer is usually required to keep the rest.
What does it cost to start?
The first call is free. If we take a pay claim, it is usually on a contingency, so you owe no attorney fee unless money is recovered. Case costs are explained in writing first and may still be owed.
Show us the pay stubs
Bring what you have to a free first call, or send a note first. Nothing is filed without your say.