Labor law violations in CA

Did you know that workers in California who are not paid and employed legally may be able to fight for their money by filing a labor lawsuit?

Under the Private Attorney General Act, citizens have the right to sue for unpaid wages and other violations of the labor code after filing a complaint with the California Labor Commission. If the agency does not investigate or fails to respond to an employee within 33 days, a PAGA can then be filed if it falls within the statute of limitations of one year.

In one such case, the commission is seeking compensation from a Holiday Inn Express, which is accused of violating California labor laws following an investigation that found that it failed to pay 31 construction workers earlier this year.

The Times-Standard reports that the commission has filed a lien on the property as it seeks to recover more than $247,000 in unpaid wages and material costs. The hotel was scheduled to open on Memorial Day, but a host of problems at the construction site pushed the date back.

According to the commission, some of the employees' checks bounced and the amount of the unpaid wages also includes meal and rest time violations. The Labor Commission could choose to take further action as it continues to look into more possible violations, including unsafe working conditions.

A spokesperson for the state Department of Industrial Relations told the news agency that a violation of the California labor law is like any other illegal activity, and those who get caught have to pay the penalty.