Wage and hour claims in California
Wage and hour claims in California accumulate penalties and fees quickly and can have a significant impact on your business and peace of mind. A single claim for unpaid overtime, missed meal breaks, or off-the-clock work can snowball into penalties, attorney’s fees, or even PAGA or class action claims. Since we work only with employers, our mission is to be the defensive shield against wage and hour claims and reduce potential damages.
Claims We Handle For California Employers
We defend employers against wage and hour claims.
including:
Unpaid overtime and double-time claims
Missed meal break and rest break claims
Off-the-clock work / 'I worked after I clocked out' claims
Minimum wage and unpaid straight-time allegations
Late final paycheck/waiting time penalties
Wage statement (Labor Code §226) violations
Expense reimbursement (cell phone, mileage, tools, uniforms)
Misclassification as exempt or as an independent contractor
Reporting-time and split-shift pay claims
Travel time and training time claims
Day of rest and suitable seating claims
Immediate Case Review
We review the claim, complaint, demand letter, or Labor Commissioner notice. We confirm deadlines so you don’t miss something critical.
Exposure and Evidence
We pull timecards, payroll reports, policies, classification records, and communication history. We calculate your real exposure, not the inflated number in the demand.
Position and Response
We decide how to respond. That could mean pushing for early resolution, preparing for the DLSE hearing, filing a response in court, or moving to limit the claims legally.
Contain the Damage
We represent you in hearings, settlement talks, mediations, and litigation. Our goal: resolve fast, keep costs down, and prevent escalation to PAGA or class action.
Prevent the Next One
After the case is under control, we help tighten policies and, fix timekeeping issues.
Why Employers Choose Defendmybiz
common questions
We’re here to answer your questions.
My former employee just filed a wage claim against us. Can this turn into something bigger with the rest of my team?
It can. Overtime, break, and reimbursement claims are often used to spin up PAGA or class actions covering “all similar employees.” We move fast to keep this from turning into a company-wide case.
I recieved a Notice of Hearing from the Labor Comissioner. What do I do?
Depending on the dollar amount, this could be very serious. Call us right aways so we can determine if this case is best for settlement or a case that should be fought at the hearing.
The employee is asking for 30 days of extra pay as ‘waiting time penalties.’ Do we really owe that?
Not automatically. That penalty only applies if final wages were “willfully” unpaid or late. We look at what was actually paid at termination and challenge the inflated penalty math.
They’re saying they worked “off the clock” after hours, and we owe back pay. We never approved that. Are we still exposed?
They can still make the claim. California treats any work performed — even quick texts after clock-out — as payable time. We dig into what actually happened, what’s documented, and whether this was a one-off or something they’re trying to claim was routine.
The dollar amount in the demand letter is insane. Am I supposed to just pay whatever they’re asking to make this go away?
No. Those numbers are almost always padded — they stack every possible penalty (breaks, wage statements, waiting time, etc.). We run a real exposure analysis using your payroll and time data, then negotiate based on actual risk, not intimidation.
Is this going to become public and hurt our reputation with the rest of the staff or future hires?
Not always. Some wage claims stay in the DLSE/Labor Commissioner process and never hit public court. A lot of cases can also be resolved quietly before they turn into a civil lawsuit. We plan with reputation in mind, not just dollars.
We paid this person on salary as “exempt.” Now they’re saying they were misclassified and we owe overtime. How bad is that?
Classification fights are common. California doesn’t just look at the job title; it looks at what the person actually did all day and how they were paid. If they truly met the exemption tests, we would use that to push back hard. If there’s exposure, we work to limit how far back they can claim and stop it from turning into a multi-employee attack.
What claims are public record?
Most lawsuits are public record and can be easily found with a basic internet search. Other claims, such as those handled by the Labor Board, usually require a Freedom of Information Act request.
Get Control of This Wage Claim Now
Wage and hour claims move quickly. Waiting gives the other side leverage. We’ll review what you were served with, explain what happens next, and lay out a plan to protect the business you’ve built.