Millions Recovered
For Unpaid Workers
California has some of the strongest worker protection laws in the nation. When your employer steals your wages—whether through unpaid daily overtime, missed breaks, or off-the-clock work—we fight back.
No fees unless we win. We only get paid when you do.
Get an estimate of what you're owed in just 60 seconds. This calculator is based on federal FLSA laws and includes liquidated damages (double your unpaid wages).
Unlike most states, California requires overtime pay for any hours worked over 8 in a single day, not just 40 in a week. You also earn Double Time for hours over 12 in a day.
| Protection | California Law | Federal Law |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Overtime | After 8 hours/day | Not required |
| Double Time | After 12 hours/day | Not required |
| Minimum Wage | $16.90/hour | $7.25/hour |
| Tipped Wage | $16.90/hour (No Tip Credit) | $2.13/hour |
| Meal Breaks | Required + Penalties | Not required |
| Exempt Salary Threshold | $70,304/year ($1,352/week) | $35,568/year ($684/week) |
Overtime (1.5x): Required > 8 hours in a day OR > 40 hours in a week.
Double Time (2x): Required > 12 hours in a single day or > 8 hours on 7th consecutive day.
Meal Breaks: 30-min unpaid break required after 5 hours.
Rest Breaks: 10-min paid break required every 4 hours.
Penalty: Employer owes 1 HOUR of pay for each missed break.
Final Pay: Due immediately (fired) or within 72h (quit).
Penalty: If late, you earn a full day's wages for every day it's late, up to 30 days.
If you show up for work but are sent home early (or given no work), you must be paid for at least half your scheduled shift (minimum 2 hours).
Employers must reimburse you for all necessary business expenses, including tools, uniforms, personal cell phone use, and mileage.
California uses the strict "ABC Test." Most gig workers and "independent contractors" are actually employees entitled to benefits and overtime.
Rampant in Silicon Valley, SF, and Silicon Beach:
Nurses, CNAs, and Home Health Aides:
Servers, Cooks, and Hotel Staff:
Commercial and Residential projects:
Field workers and processing:
Store managers and associates:
Recover all unpaid hourly wages, overtime (1.5x), and double time (2.0x), typically going back 3-4 years.
If you left your job and weren't paid in full, you can recover a full day of wages for every day it was late (up to 30 days).
Recover 1 hour of pay for every day you missed a meal break, and another hour for missed rest breaks.
You are entitled to pre-judgment interest (10% per year) and your employer must pay your legal fees if you win.
California has the strongest worker protection laws in the United States, providing significantly higher recoveries and more protections than federal FLSA alone.
💰 California workers often recover 2-3× more than federal law alone
Daily overtime + meal breaks + waiting time penalties = significantly higher damages
While Paul M. Botros is licensed in Texas and Florida, we successfully help California workers recover unpaid wages through our network of skilled California attorneys. We partner with experienced local counsel or obtain special admission (pro hac vice) to ensure you get both specialized wage and hour expertise and local court advantage.
Expert legal review of your overtime claim. No fees unless we win. Use the calculator above to estimate your recovery, then contact us for a detailed case analysis.