Wage and Hour Disputes

Los Angeles Employment Law Attorneys

Southern California Wage, Hour, and Unpaid Overtime Disputes

The rate of pay is one of the most basic elements of the employer-employee relationship: Do this type of work, receive x amount of pay, salary, and benefits; work y number of hours, receive z.

While this formula may seem fairly straightforward to many, employers often get it wrong, and—strangely enough—usually with employees who do not have a good understanding of their rights or who may be afraid that getting involved in a wage dispute with their employer could hurt their immigration status in some way.

If you are not being paid what you were promised, or what you should be by your employer— contact Oswald & Yap. We have successfully represented employees from all walks of life in wage, hour, and unpaid overtime disputes for over 25 years.

Your Rights

Dishonest employers bank on the fact that employees do not understand their rights; that they have little or no knowledge of what the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FLMA), or California-specific employment laws are; and, that they will take no legal action if "the boss" decides to pay them what the boss wants, rather than what they were promised or what the law dictates.

In addition to unfair pay practices, employers have also been known to try and squeeze more work out of their workers in other ways, some of which are also illegal. One of these involves denying workers paid breaks during their shifts. Although giving a paid or unpaid "meal break" is generally at the discretion of employers, California is one of seven states that mandate a "rest break" by law. Here, the general rule is that for every four hours worked, the employee is entitled to a ten minute rest break. Employers who break this law are also subject to wage and hour claims.

How Can We Help?

At Oswald & Yap, we are different from many employment law firms in that we do not restrict our practice to representing either employers, or employees, exclusively. We believe our results prove that this wider experience enables us to approach each case with a fresher and more informed mind set as we endeavor to resolve wage and unpaid overtime disputes outside of court whenever possible. Rest assured however, that should the need arise we are fully prepared to take your employer to court and vigorously argue your case.

Resolving Complex Employment Issues for Over 25 Years

Listed in the Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers since 1985, Oswald & Yap has ABOTA Certified (less than 3 percent of trial attorneys nationally) and AV Rated* attorneys on staff ready to assist you. Whatever the nature of your wage, hour, or unpaid overtime dispute—contact our offices in Irvine, California, to schedule a time when we can meet to talk about your case and the options that are available to you.

We offer a free in-office consultation to all prospective clients and a willingness to work with clients regarding fee arrangements and costs. We are a minority-owned firm and WMBE certified business that is proud to serve clients from a wide range of nationalities. Our attorneys are fluent in Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, German, Taiwanese, Arabic, and French.

*CV, BV and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Ratings fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.