Wage and Hour Law

“Class action” lawsuits based on labor law violations threaten large and small businesses around the country. Wage and hour laws are designed to protect laborers against unfair practices by employers, are some of the oldest labor laws in the nation. But today, class-action lawsuits allow a single “representative” plaintiff and their attorney to prove his or her complaint against an employer on behalf of many other employees. In California there is the added threat of a “representative action” under Business & Professions Code 17200 for “unfair competition.”

If you are a business owner, you could receive a summons to respond within 30 days to a complaint that demands millions of dollars in damages. What would you do?

Defending Employers

Lawyers at Vision Law Corporation® provide proactive employment and labor legal advice and aggressive litigation defense to businesses in California. Our practice is totally focused on the specialty areas of employment and labor law. A significant part of our practice is dedicated to working with employers to defend against class-action lawsuits, which have proliferated in our state since the year 2000. At that time, the legislature made wage and hour laws easily apply to broad classes of employees.

Employer Errors

There are many ways in which employers may unwittingly set themselves up for wage and hour lawsuits:

• Classifying workers as “employees” vs. “independent contractors”
• Classifying workers as “exempt” vs. “non-exempt”
• Misapplying state or federal overtime rules
• Failing to keep accurate time records
• Failing to provide meal or rest periods
• Failing to pay for travel time
• Failing to pay for preparation time
• Improper use of makeup (comp) time
• Improper alternative workweek schedules
• Payment of commissions

The laws that jeopardize California companies are very complex and, as you can see from the list above, involve many critical watch points for employers. A mistake in any area could cost your company hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars. This includes not only back wages, but “waiting time” penalties or penalties for not providing rest or meal periods under Labor Code sections 203 and 226.7.

Vision Law Corporation® believes employers can save time, money, and unnecessary disruption to their business through effective, proactive efforts. That is why we have created our innovative fee programs for employers. We invite you to consider how cost-effective representation could save your company millions, or simply save your company. Then contact us for an initial consultation about your case.

Or if you prefer, download our complimentary report “Avoid Wiping Out Your Small Business From A Wage & Hour Class Action Lawsuit”

Contact Us

For a consultation with a California employment lawyer at Vision Law Corporation®, call 916-780-1920, or contact us online.