Los Angeles Wage and Hour Lawyer

Wage and Hour Violations · Los Angeles Employment Law

Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C.

(877) 619-8966

Wage and Hour Lawyer Serving Los Angeles Workers

California has some of the strongest wage and hour protections in the country, and Los Angeles employers routinely violate them, sometimes deliberately and sometimes through sloppy payroll practices. Unpaid wages, missed breaks, and misclassification add up fast, and California law allows employees to recover penalties on top of the wages owed.

The Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman help Los Angeles workers recover unpaid wages, missed break premiums, and penalties from employers who violated the California Labor Code.

Los Angeles and California Minimum Wage History

Effective Date	California Minimum Wage	Los Angeles City Minimum Wage
January 1, 2023	$15.50/hr	$16.78/hr
July 1, 2023	$15.50/hr	$16.90/hr
January 1, 2024	$16.00/hr	$16.90/hr
July 1, 2024	$16.00/hr	$17.28/hr
January 1, 2025	$16.50/hr	$17.28/hr

The City of Los Angeles sets its own minimum wage, adjusted each July 1 for inflation, and it is consistently higher than the state minimum. Workers are entitled to whichever rate is higher.

Meal and Rest Break Violations

Shift Length	Meal Break Requirement	Rest Break Requirement
Over 5 hours	30-minute unpaid, duty-free meal break	10-minute paid rest break per 4 hours worked
Over 10 hours	Second 30-minute meal break	Second rest break

If an employer fails to provide a compliant meal or rest break, California law requires one additional hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate for each workday a meal break was missed, and a separate hour for each workday a rest break was missed, up to two extra hours of premium pay per day.

Common Wage Violations

Off-the-clock work: being asked to work before clocking in, after clocking out, or through unpaid breaks
Unpaid overtime or incorrect overtime calculation
Missed or short meal and rest breaks with no premium pay
Illegal deductions from paychecks
Unpaid final wages after termination or resignation
Failure to reimburse business expenses (mileage, cell phone, tools)
Misclassification as an independent contractor or exempt employee to avoid overtime

PAGA and Statute of Limitations

Claim Type	Statute of Limitations
Unpaid wages (written contract)	4 years
Unpaid wages (oral agreement)	2 years
Meal/rest break premiums	3 years
PAGA penalties	1 year

California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) allows an employee to sue on behalf of the state to recover civil penalties for Labor Code violations affecting other employees, not just themselves, which can significantly increase an employer’s exposure.

Wage and hour violations frequently accompany unpaid overtime claims and employee misclassification disputes. If you were fired for complaining about unpaid wages, see our page on retaliation claims.