Why people use this
It costs nothing to find out where you stand, nothing goes to your employer, and what you send goes to a real employment lawyer licensed in California — not a database, not a lead list. You do not need to know whether what happened was against the law; that is what the lawyer works out once they have read your file.
What this is about
This covers hours that never made it onto a payslip, rates that changed without warning, and pay that simply did not arrive.
Things people describe
- A payslip is missing hours you know you worked.
- Your rate changed and nobody told you in advance.
- A payment was late, short, or did not arrive.
- Deductions appeared that you did not agree to.
If any of this sounds like your situation, that does not tell you whether anything went wrong — it tells you it may be worth having someone look.
What helps
- Payslips covering the period in question.
- Bank statements showing what actually arrived.
- Any message or letter about your pay.
We ask for documents because they show what happened better than memory does. If you do not have something, say so; a gap is a normal part of a case and not a reason to stop.
In California
California has detailed rules about when wages are due and what a payslip must show (Labor Code §§ 204, 226). What follows from a particular gap depends on the records.
Claims about work usually have time limits, and they can be shorter than people expect. We cannot tell you what your own time limit is — that depends on your situation. If this matters to you, it is worth finding out sooner rather than later.
What happens if you start
You tell us what happened and send what you have. A firm reads it and decides whether they can act.
About us
Worker Rights Line is not a law firm and cannot give you legal advice. We help you put your situation and your documents together, and pass them to an employment law firm in California who decides whether they can act for you.
Reviewed by Jelmer de Boer on 2026-08-19.
Based on: Labor Code §§ 204, 226. To be checked at review.