Employment

What your employer owes you and what to do when they do not pay it — breaks, overtime, final pay, classification and retaliation.

5 items

The ABC test: employee or independent contractor?In California the default is employee. To classify someone as a contractor, the hiring business has to satisfy all three parts of a test — and the middle one defeats most arrangements.
Filing a Labor Commissioner wage claim, step by stepCalifornia's wage claim process is designed to work without a lawyer. It is slow, it is free, and it resolves a great many claims that would never justify litigation.
What counts as wrongful termination in California?California is an at-will state, which means most firings are lawful even when they are unfair. The exceptions are specific, and they are where every case lives.
When must your final paycheck arrive after you leave?Immediately if you were terminated, and within 72 hours in most resignations — with a penalty of a full day's wages for each day it is late, up to thirty days.
Meal and rest break rules under California labor lawCalifornia requires unpaid meal periods and paid rest periods at defined intervals. When one is not provided, the remedy is an hour of pay — not the length of the break.