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Official State Labor Department

Know Your Rights.
File a Claim.
Get Answers.

247,000 wage claims resolved last year. Yours could be next.

Wage ClaimsWorkplace SafetyHours & OvertimeWhistleblowerEmployer ComplianceComplaint Lookup
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$14.2M
Recovered for workers in 2024
Wage theft enforcement
247K
Claims resolved last year
Across all case types
3 days
Avg safety complaint response
Field inspection team
Wage Recovery
$14.2M

recovered for workers in 2024 — averaging $57 per hour of stolen wages.

Wage theft takes many forms — unpaid overtime, withheld final paychecks, tip stealing, illegal deductions. Our investigators pursue every dollar. Select your situation below to understand your rights and next steps.

Under state law, most employees are entitled to 1.5× their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. If your employer failed to pay this, you may be owed back wages plus penalties. File a wage claim and our investigators will contact your employer within 10 business days. There is no cost to file.

The current state minimum wage is $15.50/hour. If you were paid less — including through tip credits that weren't properly disclosed — you can recover the difference plus interest. Claims go back up to three years. You don't need to still work there to file.

Misclassification is one of the most common forms of wage theft. If you were treated like an employee — set schedule, provided tools, supervised directly — but classified as a contractor, you may be owed overtime, benefits contributions, and more. Our investigators use the ABC test to determine correct status.

State law requires final wages be paid within 72 hours of termination (or immediately if you gave 72+ hours notice). If your employer missed this deadline, you're entitled to 'waiting time penalties' — up to 30 days of additional wages. File within three years of the violation.

Retaliation — including firing, demotion, reduced hours, or harassment — is illegal. If you experienced retaliation within 90 days of filing a complaint, contact our whistleblower protection unit immediately. Emergency investigations begin within 48 hours for active retaliation cases.

Ready to recover what you're owed?
No attorney needed. No filing fee. Confidential.
File Your Claim Now
Workplace Safety Enforcement
3 days

average response time for safety complaints — 2,100 inspections completed in 2024.

Every complaint is taken seriously. Our field inspectors investigate unsafe conditions, missing equipment, chemical hazards, and fall risks. Employers face fines of up to $156,259 per willful violation.

2,100+
Inspections in 2024
$4.8M
In penalties assessed
48 hrs
Emergency response
100%
Confidential reporting

Employers are legally required to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) at no cost to workers. This includes hard hats, gloves, eye protection, and fall-arrest systems where required. File a safety complaint and an inspector will visit within 3 business days — your identity is kept confidential.

Discouraging injury reporting is itself a federal and state violation. You have the right to report any work-related injury to your employer AND to this department without fear of retaliation. Workers' compensation coverage is mandatory for most employers — you cannot be fired for filing a claim.

Hazard Communication standards require employers to maintain Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for every hazardous chemical, train workers on chemical hazards, and properly label all containers. Violations carry fines of $15,625 per day. File a complaint with the chemical names if known.

Whistleblower protection laws cover safety complaints. If your employer retaliates within 90 days of your complaint — or threatens to — contact our Anti-Retaliation Unit directly at (555) 847-2291. Emergency protection orders can be issued within 24 hours in documented cases.

Report a Safety ViolationEmergency Hotline: (555) 847-2291
For Employers & HR
$18.5K

minimum fine for missing a required workplace poster. Compliance costs less than the violation.

New overtime rules, updated minimum wages, and revised poster requirements took effect in 2026. Use our employer tools to verify compliance before an investigator does.

Updated Jan 2026

Poster Compliance

Required workplace notices updated for 2026. Verify which posters your business must display before your next audit — fines start at $18,500 for missing notices.

Download Poster Checklist
2026 Rules Active

Wage & Hour Self-Audit

New overtime thresholds took effect January 1, 2026. Run a free self-audit to verify your classifications, pay rates, and recordkeeping meet current standards.

Start Self-Audit

License & Registration

Verify your labor contractor license, check registration status, or renew before expiration. Unlicensed operation carries penalties up to $25,000 per violation.

Check License Status
Check your employer record before a worker does.
Past violations, open investigations, and compliance history — all public record.
Check Your Employer's Record
Real Outcomes
94%

of claimants received a resolution within 60 days — the highest rate in department history.

These are not edge cases. These are the everyday people who found the right door and walked through it.

"I worked at a warehouse for two years without overtime pay. I didn't even know I was owed anything. The investigator recovered $11,400 for me in six weeks."

Marcus T.
Warehouse associate, Riverside County
$11,400

"As a restaurant owner, I was terrified the new overtime rules would bankrupt me. The compliance team walked me through exactly what I needed to change. No fine."

Linda Pham
Restaurant owner, San Gabriel Valley
$0 in fines

"I reported a fall hazard at 11pm on a Tuesday. An inspector was on site by Thursday morning. The scaffold was fixed before my next shift."

Darnell W.
Construction laborer, Sacramento
48 hr response

You found the right door.
Now walk through it.

No cost. No attorney required. Confidential. Our investigators are here Monday through Friday, 8am – 5pm.