What information should you include in a wage violation report?

When you first started your job, you likely had trust in your California employer. You may have felt at ease in his or her presence when conducting your interview and may have been excited when you received an offer of employment. Unfortunately, after starting your position, you may have become less at ease.

At first, you may not have believed that your employer was acting unlawfully when it came to your pay. He or she may have asked you to work overtime, and you may have agreed with the expectation of receiving overtime pay. When that pay was left off your next check, you may have chalked it up to a mistake that would be corrected later. Soon, however, you may have noticed more wage violations taking place.

What to do if you suspect violations

Earning an income is the reason many people go to work, aside from the other satisfactions putting in a hard day’s work may bring. When you and other workers do not receive your due compensation, you may not see the point in going to work. The situation goes beyond that because your employer may be violating the law if you do not receive overtime pay and are not an exempt employee, do not receive breaks, do not receive minimum wage, or do not receive payment at all for hours worked.

If you believe that your employer has subjected you to such violations, you may want to consider filing a report. If you do wish to file a claim with the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor, you need the following information:

• Your employer’s name, contact information and type of business he or she operates
• Your personal information and contact information
• The job position you hold and the type of work you carry out
• Your payment information, including your hourly wages, method of payment and pay periods
• Dates and descriptions of the violations

After filing your complaint, an investigation will likely take place.

Having help

You may worry about filing a wage-and-hour complaint because of potential backlash from your employer or other negative outcomes. However, employment retaliation is also a violation of the law. If you have concerns about working toward rectifying illegal actions in your place of employment, you may wish to contact an employment law attorney who could help you assess your situation and guide you through your possible courses of action.