California Wage Theft Demand Letter

The current minimum wage in California is $16.90/hour. Some cities and counties within California set higher local minimums — check your specific jurisdiction before calculating what you're owed. Federal law (the Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA) requires overtime at 1.5× the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek for most employees.

Wage theft in California commonly takes the form of unpaid overtime, off-the-clock work, illegal paycheck deductions, misclassification as an independent contractor, and tip pool violations. Counter Gameplan turns that into a ready-to-send letter in about 60 seconds.

The California Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE) accepts wage claim filings from California workers and investigates them at no cost to you. The agency has the authority to demand payroll records, issue findings, and order employers to pay back wages plus penalties.

In practice, a professional demand letter sent before filing the formal claim resolves a large share of wage disputes. Employers know that once a state agency opens an investigation, they face audit risk, statutory penalties, and potential liquidated (double) damages.

You generally have 3 years (4 years for written contract claims) to file a wage claim in California. Federal FLSA claims have a 2-year window (3 years for willful violations). The clock starts on each individual paycheck — meaning every unpaid overtime hour is its own claim with its own deadline.

If you wait too long, you lose recovery on the older paychecks even if you're still owed for newer ones. This is why we recommend acting as soon as you've identified a pattern.

Five patterns account for most California wage theft cases: (1) being asked to work "just a few minutes" before clocking in or after clocking out; (2) salaried "exempt" employees who don't actually meet the FLSA exemption tests; (3) tipped workers whose tips are pooled with non-tipped managers; (4) "independent contractors" who function as employees; and (5) final paychecks withheld or short on accrued PTO.

A demand letter that identifies the specific pattern, quantifies the dollar amount, and references both California and federal law dramatically increases the odds of a fast settlement.

Retaliation for filing a wage claim — including being fired, demoted, or having your hours cut — is illegal under both federal law (FLSA §215(a)(3)) and California state law. If retaliation happens, you can add a separate retaliation claim, which often increases the damages substantially.

Document everything in real time: text messages, emails, scheduling changes, performance reviews. Even small details become important evidence if a retaliation claim becomes necessary.