Unpaid wages and overtime
You worked it. You're owed it.
Wage theft is common, and it is often the easiest claim to prove with paper.
If you worked over 40 hours without overtime, worked before clocking in or after clocking out, had tips kept back, were called a contractor or a manager to avoid paying overtime, or never got your last paycheck, you may be owed back pay.
Your pay stubs and schedules tell most of the story. I'll check the math and tell you what you're owed, and whether coworkers in the same spot may be owed too.
What it looks like
Cases I see most
Off the clock
Prep, cleanup, security lines or logins before the shift started.
Missing overtime
Over 40 hours in a week at your regular rate, or none at all.
Misclassified
Called a contractor or a salaried manager so overtime didn't apply.
Tips kept back
Tips shared with managers, or a tip credit taken the wrong way.
Final paycheck
Your last check late, short, or never sent.
Illegal deductions
Uniforms, shortages or equipment taken out of your pay.
Right now
Start a record
Collect your pay stubs
Every one you can find, and your W-2s or 1099s.
Write down your real hours
Your best estimate of when you actually started and stopped.
Photograph the schedule
Posted schedules and group texts about shifts.
Note who else
Coworkers on the same schedule may be owed the same.
Questions
What people ask about unpaid wages and overtime
Can I be fired for asking about my pay?
Retaliating against you for complaining about wages is illegal on its own, and it can be added to your claim.
How far back can I recover?
Usually two or three years, depending on the law that applies, so the sooner you call, the more of it you can claim.
I was paid in cash. Can I still claim?
Yes. Cash pay doesn't change what you're owed. Your own records, texts and coworkers can prove the hours.
Tell me what happened
A short call, and you'll know whether this is a case.
Contingency cases: no fee unless you recover. Case costs, like filing and transcript fees, are separate, and the agreement says in writing who pays them.