Wage Theft Lawyer San Francisco | Unpaid Overtime | Liberation Law Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Not paid overtime in San Francisco? Arlo Uriarte recovers stolen wages \u2014 restaurants, cleaning, construction, hotels. Free consultation in Spanish. 1-888-442-2642.\">\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Cormorant+Garamond:wght@400;500;600;700&family=DM+Sans:wght@300;400;500;600&display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\">\n\n<\/head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"llg-page\"> <script type=\"application\/ld+json\">[{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":[\"LegalService\",\"LocalBusiness\"],\"name\":\"Liberation Law Group, P.C.\",\"alternateName\":\"Employment Attorneys for Workers\",\"description\":\"Wage theft and unpaid overtime attorneys in San Francisco. Arlo Uriarte recovers stolen wages for workers in restaurants, cleaning, construction, hotels, and all Bay Area industries. Free consultation in Spanish and English.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/wage-theft-lawyer-in-san-francisco-california\/\",\"telephone\":\"+18884422642\",\"priceRange\":\"Free Consultation \u2014 No Fee Unless We Win\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/liberation-law-group-san-francisco-employment-lawyers-team.png\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"2760 Mission Street 2nd floor\",\"addressLocality\":\"San Francisco\",\"addressRegion\":\"CA\",\"postalCode\":\"94110\",\"addressCountry\":\"US\"},\"geo\":{\"@type\":\"GeoCoordinates\",\"latitude\":37.75019999999999953388396534137427806854248046875,\"longitude\":-122.41870000000000118234311230480670928955078125},\"areaServed\":[{\"@type\":\"City\",\"name\":\"San Francisco\"},{\"@type\":\"City\",\"name\":\"San Jose\"},{\"@type\":\"City\",\"name\":\"Oakland\"},{\"@type\":\"County\",\"name\":\"Napa County\"},{\"@type\":\"County\",\"name\":\"Sonoma County\"},{\"@type\":\"State\",\"name\":\"California\"}],\"serviceType\":[\"Wage Theft\",\"Unpaid Overtime\",\"Minimum Wage Violations\",\"Meal and Rest Break Violations\",\"Worker Misclassification\",\"Waiting Time Penalties\",\"Retaliation for Wage Claims\"],\"employee\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Arlo Uriarte\",\"jobTitle\":\"Employment Attorney\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/profiles.superlawyers.com\/california-northern\/san-francisco\/lawyer\/arlo-uriarte\/dcacf9be-ddd4-4d70-b305-ef6874fe34ea.html\",\"https:\/\/www.avvo.com\/attorneys\/94110-ca-arlo-uriarte-67774.html\",\"https:\/\/apps.calbar.ca.gov\/attorney\/Licensee\/Detail\/231764\"]},\"openingHoursSpecification\":[{\"@type\":\"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\"dayOfWeek\":[\"Monday\",\"Tuesday\",\"Wednesday\",\"Thursday\"],\"opens\":\"09:00\",\"closes\":\"20:00\"},{\"@type\":\"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\"dayOfWeek\":\"Friday\",\"opens\":\"09:00\",\"closes\":\"18:00\"},{\"@type\":\"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\"dayOfWeek\":[\"Saturday\",\"Sunday\"],\"opens\":\"09:00\",\"closes\":\"17:00\"}],\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\",\"https:\/\/profiles.superlawyers.com\/california\/san-francisco\/lawfirm\/liberation-law-group-pc\/b296b863-3c95-4d1b-b084-facaf6b0d152.html\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/liberationlaw\/\",\"https:\/\/www.yelp.com\/biz\/liberation-law-group-pc-san-francisco-2\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/#organization\/\"},{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Arlo Uriarte\",\"jobTitle\":\"Employment Attorney\",\"description\":\"Employment attorney with over 20 years recovering stolen wages for workers in San Francisco and throughout Northern California.\",\"telephone\":\"+18884422642\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\",\"worksFor\":{\"@type\":\"LegalService\",\"name\":\"Liberation Law Group, P.C.\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/#organization\/\"},\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"2760 Mission Street 2nd floor\",\"addressLocality\":\"San Francisco\",\"addressRegion\":\"CA\",\"postalCode\":\"94110\",\"addressCountry\":\"US\"},\"knowsLanguage\":[\"en\",\"es\"],\"areaServed\":\"Northern California\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/profiles.superlawyers.com\/california-northern\/san-francisco\/lawyer\/arlo-uriarte\/dcacf9be-ddd4-4d70-b305-ef6874fe34ea.html\",\"https:\/\/www.avvo.com\/attorneys\/94110-ca-arlo-uriarte-67774.html\",\"https:\/\/apps.calbar.ca.gov\/attorney\/Licensee\/Detail\/231764\"]},{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"My employer says I am 'salaried' and not entitled to overtime. Is that true?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Probably not. In California, only a narrow set of workers are truly exempt from overtime. To qualify as exempt you must earn at least $70,304 annually AND spend more than 50% of your time in genuine executive, administrative, or licensed professional duties. If your salary is below that threshold or your actual duties are operational, you are entitled to overtime regardless of your title. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a free evaluation.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What if I am undocumented and my employer threatens to report me if I claim wages?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Those immigration threats are completely illegal and dramatically increase the value of your case. California labor law protects all workers regardless of immigration status. If an employer threatens immigration consequences in response to a wage claim, that threat is illegal retaliation that can lead to punitive damages. Your information with us is 100% confidential. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How long do I have to claim stolen wages in California?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Three years for most Labor Code violations from the last violation. Four years if there is a written agreement violated. One year for some specific penalties. Acting early always produces better results \u2014 records disappear and witnesses change jobs. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How much money can I recover in a wage theft case?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Unpaid regular wages, unpaid overtime at 1.5x or 2x, one hour of extra pay per meal or rest break violation, waiting time penalties of up to 30 days of wages, and attorney fees paid by the employer. Simple overtime cases depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack. Cases with multiple violations depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"My employer calls me an 'independent contractor' but controls everything I do. What can I do?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Under California's AB5 law and the ABC test, you are an employee if your employer controls how you do the work, the work is part of the employer's core business, and you don't have an independent business in that field. As an employee by law, you are owed all unpaid overtime, break penalties, and benefits retroactively. These cases depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can my employer fire me for claiming wages?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No \u2014 terminating you for claiming wages is illegal retaliation. If you are fired within 90 days of making a wage claim, the law presumes it was retaliation. You recover the original unpaid wages plus wrongful termination damages, emotional distress, and attorney fees paid by the employer. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What documents do I need for the consultation?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Ideally: pay stubs from the last 3\u20136 months, a personal record of hours actually worked, information about breaks taken or denied, and any messages with your employer about pay or schedules. If you don't have everything, we can work with your name, employment dates, employer name, and your best estimate of hours worked per week. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Does San Francisco have wage protections beyond California state law?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. San Francisco's minimum wage is $19.61 per hour, higher than the state minimum of $16.90. The Fair Workweek Ordinance gives workers the right to predictable schedules and additional pay when schedules change with insufficient notice. The city mandates at least 72 hours of paid sick leave annually including part-time workers. The Healthcare Security Ordinance requires large employers to contribute to employee healthcare. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}}]}]<\/script>  <div class=\"llg-hero\"> <div class=\"llg-hero-bg\"><\/div> <div class=\"llg-hero-overlay\"><\/div> <div class=\"llg-hero-content\"> <h1>Wage Theft Lawyer in San Francisco \u2014 Unpaid Overtime, Stolen Wages & Break Violations<\/h1> <p>Workers' Rights Advocates \u00b7 Fighting for Employees Since 2007 \u00b7 We Represent Employees \u2014 Never Employers \u00b7 Plaintiff-Side Employment Attorneys \u00b7 Hablamos Espa\u00f1ol \u00b7 Free consultation<\/p> <div class=\"llg-hero-cta\"> <a href=\"tel:+18884422642\" class=\"llg-btn-phone\">1-888-442-2642<\/a> <a href=\"\/en\/contact-us\/\" class=\"llg-btn-contact\" style=\"color:#ffffff !important;-webkit-text-fill-color:#ffffff;\">Free Consultation<\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>  <img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/abogado-de-horas-y-salarios-en-San-Francisco.webp\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Wage theft and unpaid overtime attorney in San Francisco \u2014 Liberation Law Group employment lawyers for workers\" class=\"llg-featured-image lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/abogado-de-horas-y-salarios-en-San-Francisco.webp\" alt=\"Wage theft and unpaid overtime attorney in San Francisco \u2014 Liberation Law Group employment lawyers for workers\" class=\"llg-featured-image\"><\/noscript> <div class=\"llg-layout\"> <main class=\"llg-content\"> <p>You work 55 hours a week but only get paid for 40. Your employer makes you work through your lunch break without extra pay. They call you a \"contractor\" but control every hour of your workday. Or they tell you that because you are \"salaried,\" you have no right to overtime.<\/p> <p>What you are describing has a legal name: <strong>wage theft.<\/strong> And in California \u2014 where labor laws are the strongest in the country \u2014 it is completely illegal.<\/p> <p>My name is Arlo Uriarte. I am an employment attorney at Liberation Law Group and I have spent over 20 years recovering stolen wages for workers in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and throughout Northern California. We are a plaintiff's firm \u2014 we file cases, we fight for workers, and we do not defend employers. Our office is at <strong>2760 Mission Street<\/strong> in the Mission District, three minutes from 24th Street BART. We speak Spanish, and we know exactly how to build a wage theft case that results in maximum recovery for the worker.<\/p> <p>If you are not being paid correctly, <a href=\"\/en\/contact-us\/\">call today for a free consultation<\/a> in Spanish or English. No cost, no obligation, regardless of immigration status.<\/p> <h2>How Overtime Works in California \u2014 The Exact Rules<\/h2> <p>California has the most protective overtime rules in the country. The calculation is not just weekly as under federal law \u2014 it is also daily. That means you may be entitled to overtime even if you did not work more than 40 hours in a given week.<\/p> <div class=\"llg-ot-grid\"> <div class=\"llg-ot-item\"> <strong>Time and a Half (1.5x your hourly rate)<\/strong> <span>After 8 hours in a single day \u00b7 After 40 hours in a workweek \u00b7 The first 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day of work in a workweek<\/span> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-ot-item\"> <strong>Double Time (2x your hourly rate)<\/strong> <span>After 12 hours in a single day \u00b7 After 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day of work in a workweek<\/span> <\/div> <\/div> <p>A concrete example: if you work 10 hours in one day at $20 per hour, you are owed $160 for the first 8 hours plus $60 for the 2 overtime hours (at 1.5x = $30\/hour). That is $220 \u2014 not the $200 many employers pay. Multiplied over 5 days a week for a year, the difference is substantial.<\/p> <h2>The Legal Authority Behind Your Claim \u2014 Every Rule, With Its Exact Citation<\/h2> <p>Wage theft is proven with the California Labor Code in hand. These are the provisions that govern a wage and hour claim, with the citation so you can verify them or take them to any attorney.<\/p> <table class=\"llg-law\"> <thead><tr><th>Provision<\/th><th>What it establishes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> <tbody> <tr><td>Labor Code § 510<\/td><td>Overtime: 1.5 times your rate for more than 8 hours in a day or more than 40 in a week, and <strong>double time<\/strong> beyond 12 hours in a day or beyond 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day worked.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 1182.12<\/td><td>State minimum wage: <strong>$16.90 per hour<\/strong> as of January 1, 2026, for employers of every size.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>San Francisco ordinance<\/td><td>Local minimum wage: <strong>$19.61 per hour<\/strong> as of July 1, 2026. If you work in San Francisco, the higher of the two applies.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code §§ 512, 226.7<\/td><td>Meals and breaks: an unpaid 30-minute meal period before the end of the fifth hour, plus paid 10-minute rest breaks. If one is denied or interrupted, the employer owes <strong>one additional hour of pay per day<\/strong>, for each type of break.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 2775<\/td><td>The ABC test for worker classification (AB 5, reorganized by AB 2257 into §§ 2775-2787). You are presumed an <strong>employee<\/strong> unless the company proves all three conditions. The burden is on the employer, not you.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code §§ 201-202<\/td><td>Final pay: if you are fired, payment is due <strong>immediately<\/strong>. If you quit with 72 hours' notice, on your last day; without notice, within 72 hours.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 203<\/td><td>Waiting-time penalty for late final pay: up to <strong>30 days<\/strong> of full wages.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 226(e)<\/td><td>Inaccurate pay stubs: $50 for the first violation and $100 for each subsequent one, capped at <strong>$4,000<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 1194<\/td><td>The right to sue for unpaid minimum wage and overtime, <strong>plus interest and attorney's fees<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 2802<\/td><td>The employer must reimburse necessary work expenses: tools, uniforms, mileage, and use of your personal phone.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code §§ 1174, 1174.5<\/td><td>The employer must keep accurate time records. Failing to do so carries its own penalty and, in practice, <strong>resolves doubt in the worker's favor<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 2699<\/td><td>PAGA: $100 per employee per pay period for an initial violation and $200 for subsequent ones, when you act on the state's behalf.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 98<\/td><td>A claim with the Labor Commissioner and a Berman hearing, an alternative to court that does not require an attorney.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 98.6 + SB 497<\/td><td>Bars retaliation for claiming wages, with a <strong>rebuttable presumption of retaliation<\/strong> if the adverse action happens within 90 days of your complaint (effective January 1, 2024).<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 1019<\/td><td>Threatening you with immigration consequences for claiming your wages is a separate violation worth up to $10,000.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Bus. & Prof. Code § 17208<\/td><td>A <strong>four-year<\/strong> period when the claim is brought under the Unfair Competition Law, against the general three years under the Labor Code.<\/td><\/tr> <\/tbody> <\/table> <div class=\"llg-callout\"> <p>The 2026 exempt salary threshold is <strong>$70,304 per year ($5,858.67 per month)<\/strong> \u2014 twice the state minimum wage for a 40-hour week. If you earn less than that, <strong>no \"manager\" title takes away your right to overtime<\/strong>. And meeting the salary threshold is not enough on its own: you must also spend more than half your time on genuinely executive, administrative, or professional duties.<\/p> <p>General information about California law. Not legal advice for your specific situation.<\/p> <\/div> <h3>Two decisions that substantially increase what you are owed<\/h3> <p><strong><em>Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services<\/em> (2022) 13 Cal.5th 93.<\/strong> The California Supreme Court held that missed-break premium pay <strong>is wages<\/strong>, not merely a penalty. The practical consequence is large: a denied break no longer costs only one hour of pay, it also triggers § 226 penalties for an inaccurate wage statement and § 203 waiting-time penalties on separation. A pattern of interrupted breaks over months can be worth several times the unpaid hours themselves.<\/p> <p><strong><em>Troester v. Starbucks Corp.<\/em> (2018) 5 Cal.4th 829.<\/strong> California rejected the federal <em>de minimis<\/em> rule: small but regular off-the-clock minutes \u2014 locking up, shutting down systems, waiting for a bag check \u2014 <strong>must be paid<\/strong>. Ten minutes a day for a year is more than 40 hours of unpaid work.<\/p>\n<h2>The Types of Wage Theft We See Every Week<\/h2> <h3>Unpaid Overtime<\/h3> <p>The most common form. The employer records 8 hours even though the worker arrived 30 minutes early and left 45 minutes late. Or the employer simply does not pay overtime because \"there's no budget.\" The employer's budget problems are not your legal problem \u2014 if you worked the hours, you are entitled to the pay.<\/p> <h3>Minimum Wage Violations<\/h3> <p>San Francisco's minimum wage is <strong>$19.61 per hour<\/strong> \u2014 higher than the California state minimum of $16.90 and far above the federal floor of $7.25. Any payment below that rate is illegal, even if you signed an agreement accepting less. Stealing tips, not paying training time, and shaving hours off time records are also minimum wage violations.<\/p> <h3>Meal and Rest Break Violations<\/h3> <p>For every 5 hours worked you have the right to a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break that your employer cannot interrupt. For every 4 hours worked you have the right to a 10-minute paid rest break. If those breaks are denied or interrupted, the employer owes you <strong>one additional hour of pay per violation<\/strong> \u2014 separately from whatever else you earn that day.<\/p> <h3>Worker Misclassification \u2014 \"Independent Contractor\"<\/h3> <p>One of the most expensive and most common forms of wage theft in California. Many employers label workers as \"contractors\" to avoid paying overtime, workers' compensation, and payroll taxes. California's <strong>AB5 law<\/strong> establishes the ABC test: if your employer sets your schedule, provides your tools, and controls how you do the work, you are an employee by law \u2014 regardless of what they call you. And if you are an employee by law, you are owed everything they failed to pay you retroactively.<\/p> <h3>The \"Salaried Means No Overtime\" Myth<\/h3> <p>This is the most costly misconception for workers. \"Salaried\" does not automatically mean exempt from overtime. In California, to be truly exempt you must earn at least <strong>$70,304 per year<\/strong> ($5,858.67 per month) AND spend more than 50% of your time performing genuine executive, administrative, or licensed professional functions. If you do not meet both criteria, you are entitled to overtime \u2014 even if your employer calls you a \"manager\" or \"supervisor.\"<\/p> <h3>Waiting Time Penalties \u2014 Your Final Paycheck<\/h3> <p>If your employer did not deliver your final paycheck immediately upon termination (or within 72 hours if you resigned with notice), you are owed a penalty of <strong>up to 30 full days of wages.<\/strong> This single point alone depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack for a full-time worker \u2014 and most workers do not know this right exists.<\/p> <p><a href=\"\/en\/workplace-retaliation-attorney-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Learn about your rights if your employer retaliates against you for claiming wages.<\/a><\/p> <div class=\"llg-cta-box\"> <strong>Are you being underpaid? Arlo Uriarte evaluates your case for free today.<\/strong> <p>20+ years recovering stolen wages in San Francisco and the Bay Area. We represent employees \u2014 never employers. No fee unless we win.<\/p> <a href=\"tel:+18884422642\" class=\"phone\">1-888-442-2642<\/a> <a href=\"\/en\/contact-us\/\" class=\"link\">or request your free case evaluation here<\/a> <\/div> <h2>San Francisco's Additional Wage Protections<\/h2> <p>San Francisco has local labor laws that go beyond California state protections \u2014 and they apply to every employer in the city regardless of size.<\/p> <div class=\"llg-sf-grid\"> <div class=\"llg-sf-card\"> <strong>San Francisco Minimum Wage<\/strong> <span>$19.61 per hour \u2014 higher than the state minimum ($16.90) and far above the federal floor ($7.25). No exceptions for \"small business\" or \"family business.\" Every employer in the city must comply.<\/span> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sf-card\"> <strong>Fair Workweek Ordinance<\/strong> <span>Workers have the right to predictable schedules. If your employer changes your schedule without sufficient advance notice, you are owed additional \"predictability pay.\" Applies to employers with 10 or more workers.<\/span> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sf-card\"> <strong>Paid Sick Leave<\/strong> <span>You accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave per 30 hours worked, with a minimum of 72 hours per year. Includes part-time and temporary workers. Employers cannot retaliate for using this benefit.<\/span> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sf-card\"> <strong>Healthcare Security Ordinance<\/strong> <span>Large employers must contribute to employee healthcare \u2014 $5.34\/hour for companies without insurance, $2.67\/hour for partial coverage. If your employer fails to comply, those amounts are owed to you retroactively.<\/span> <\/div> <\/div> <h2>How What You Are Owed Is Actually Calculated<\/h2> <p>We do not publish case value ranges, because a range without your facts is not useful information. What we can show you is how the calculation is built, with the real rules and arithmetic you can repeat using your own numbers.<\/p> <div class=\"llg-sign-item\"> <span class=\"num\">1<\/span> <strong>Unpaid overtime<\/strong> <p>Hours beyond 8 a day or 40 a week at 1.5 times your rate; beyond 12 a day at double time. Example: 10 overtime hours a week at $20 an hour means $10 an hour in unpaid time-and-a-half premium, which comes to $5,200 over a 52-week year.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sign-item\"> <span class=\"num\">2<\/span> <strong>Break premiums, which now pull more behind them<\/strong> <p>One hour of pay for each denied or interrupted meal period, plus another for each denied rest break, per day. At $20 an hour, occurring every working day for a year, that is roughly $10,400. And under <em>Naranjo<\/em>, because they are wages, they also trigger § 226 and § 203 penalties.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sign-item\"> <span class=\"num\">3<\/span> <strong>The late final paycheck penalty<\/strong> <p>Up to 30 days of full wages under § 203. For someone earning $180 a day, that is $5,400 from this item alone, and it is separate from the wages you are owed.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sign-item\"> <span class=\"num\">4<\/span> <strong>Inaccurate pay stubs<\/strong> <p>$50 for the first violation and $100 for each subsequent one, up to $4,000 under § 226(e).<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sign-item\"> <span class=\"num\">5<\/span> <strong>Attorney's fees and the deadline that favors you<\/strong> <p>Under § 1194 the employer pays the fees in minimum wage and overtime claims. And filing under the Unfair Competition Law extends the recoverable period from three years to four.<\/p> <\/div> <p>The figures above are arithmetic on an assumed $20 hourly rate, not a prediction of what your case is worth. What actually determines the outcome is how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, whether the employer kept them as § 1174 requires, and whether retaliation followed your complaint.<\/p> <div class=\"llg-cta-box\"> <strong>Bring your pay stubs and we will run the calculation with you, at no cost.<\/strong> <p>No obligation. Regardless of your immigration status. We speak Spanish.<\/p> <a href=\"tel:+18884422642\" class=\"phone\">1-888-442-2642<\/a> <a href=\"\/en\/contact\/\" class=\"link\">or request your free case evaluation here<\/a> <\/div>\n<h2>Wage Theft by Industry in San Francisco<\/h2> <h3>Restaurants \u2014 Mission District, North Beach, Castro, Chinatown<\/h3> <p>San Francisco's restaurants have the highest rate of wage violations of any industry in the city. Servers performing side work without extra pay. Cooks working 12-hour shifts recorded as 8. Managers stealing tips or creating illegal tip pools. Lunch rushes where breaks never happen. These patterns repeat in restaurants from North Beach near Washington Square Park to the Mission District along 24th Street.<\/p> <h3>Office Cleaning \u2014 Financial District, SoMa<\/h3> <p>Cleaning companies that service the skyscrapers of the Financial District and the tech offices of SoMa have some of the worst wage compliance records in California. Work done \"off the clock\" before and after shifts. No pay for travel time between buildings. Misclassification as contractors to avoid overtime. No overtime for shifts that routinely exceed 8 hours.<\/p> <h3>Construction \u2014 Mission Bay, Bayview, Transbay<\/h3> <p>At construction sites near Chase Center in Mission Bay, in Bayview-Hunters Point projects, and at the Transbay complex, wage theft takes specific forms: cash payments \"under the table\" without accurate hour records, widespread misclassification as contractors, no pay for tool preparation time, and seven-day workweeks without correct seventh-day overtime.<\/p> <h3>Hotels \u2014 Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf<\/h3> <p>At hotels around Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf, housekeeping staff work through meal breaks to handle urgent checkout rooms without additional pay. Front desk staff work split shifts without the required premium. Banquet service workers go unpaid for setup and breakdown time. Management illegally skims from tip pools.<\/p> <h3>Domestic Work and Elder Care \u2014 Pacific Heights, Marina<\/h3> <p>Domestic workers and caregivers in Pacific Heights and the Marina face some of the most serious wage violations because they frequently work in isolation. 24-hour shifts without correct overtime calculation for sleep time. Live-in workers not receiving minimum wage. No meal or rest breaks during long shifts. California's AB 241 provides specific wage and hour protections for domestic workers in the state.<\/p> <h2>Retaliation for Wage Claims \u2014 Your Legal Protection<\/h2> <p>One of the most common patterns: a worker asks about their overtime or claims unpaid wages, and the employer fires them, cuts their hours, or moves them to the worst shift. That is <strong>illegal retaliation<\/strong> \u2014 and it significantly increases the total value of the case.<\/p> <p>The key protection: once you report wage theft in writing \u2014 by text, email, or formal complaint \u2014 any negative action the employer takes within <strong>90 days is legally presumed to be retaliation.<\/strong> The employer must prove it was not \u2014 which is extremely difficult in practice.<\/p> <p>When retaliation occurs, the case includes the original unpaid wages plus wrongful termination damages (frequently 2 to 5 years of lost wages), emotional distress damages, and attorney fees paid by the employer.<\/p> <h2>What to Do Now<\/h2> <div class=\"llg-step\"> <div class=\"llg-step-num\">1<\/div> <div class=\"llg-step-body\"> <strong>Document your hours in real time<\/strong> <p>Write down every day in a personal notebook or your phone: your start time, end time, and breaks taken or denied. Take photos of the time clock if possible. Keep this information on personal devices \u2014 not company equipment.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-step\"> <div class=\"llg-step-num\">2<\/div> <div class=\"llg-step-body\"> <strong>Save all pay stubs and communications<\/strong> <p>Forward pay stubs to your personal email. Save any text or email exchanges with your employer about pay, schedules, or breaks. Once you leave the job, you will lose access to company systems and that evidence may disappear permanently.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-step\"> <div class=\"llg-step-num\">3<\/div> <div class=\"llg-step-body\"> <strong>Put the complaint in writing when safe to do so<\/strong> <p>A text message to your manager asking why you were not paid overtime creates powerful evidence. An employer who responds \"there's no budget\" is admitting they know their legal obligation and are ignoring it. Save every response.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-step\"> <div class=\"llg-step-num\">4<\/div> <div class=\"llg-step-body\"> <strong>Call an attorney before filing an official complaint<\/strong> <p>Before going to the Labor Commissioner or the DLSE, speak with an employment attorney. The strategy for where and how to file a wage claim affects the outcome. Our consultation is completely free. Call 1-888-442-2642.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-step\"> <div class=\"llg-step-num\">5<\/div> <div class=\"llg-step-body\"> <strong>Act within the 3-year window \u2014 sooner is always better<\/strong> <p>California gives 3 years to claim most stolen wages, 4 years if there is a written agreement violated. But the earlier you act, the stronger the evidence and the higher the recovery. Call 1-888-442-2642 today.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <h2>What You Can Recover<\/h2> <ul> <li><strong>Unpaid regular wages<\/strong> \u2014 everything your employer should have paid<\/li> <li><strong>Unpaid overtime<\/strong> \u2014 at 1.5x or 2x as applicable under California law<\/li> <li><strong>Meal and rest break penalties<\/strong> \u2014 one additional hour of pay per violation<\/li> <li><strong>Waiting time penalties<\/strong> \u2014 up to 30 days of wages if your final check was not timely<\/li> <li><strong>Interest on amounts owed<\/strong><\/li> <li><strong>Attorney fees paid by the employer<\/strong> \u2014 in most successful California wage cases<\/li> <\/ul> <h2>What Workers Who Have Been in Similar Situations Say<\/h2> <div class=\"llg-callout\"> <p>\"They treated me well and the settlement was awesome. I would recommend to anyone looking for legal help. Very grateful!\"<\/p> <p>\u2014 Ismael Pochon, Google review<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-callout\"> <p>\"Mr. Arlo Uriarte, as my lawyer: I would like to express my most sincere thanks for the representation of my case in excellent manner. I admire your composure and work ethics.\"<\/p> <p>\u2014 Klentmari Araza, Google review<\/p> <\/div> <h2>Where We Serve<\/h2> <p>Our office is at <strong>2760 Mission Street 2nd floor<\/strong> in the Mission District \u2014 three minutes from 24th Street Mission BART, near Dolores Park. We handle cases throughout San Francisco (Mission, SoMa, Financial District, North Beach, Chinatown, Castro, Bayview, Excelsior, Union Square), Oakland (Fruitvale \u2014 53.8% Hispanic), Hayward (40.7% Latino), San Jose, Napa County (35.4% Latino), Sonoma County (28.9% Latino), Santa Rosa, Vallejo, San Mateo County, and all of Northern California.<\/p> <div class=\"llg-cta-box\"> <strong>Call Arlo Uriarte today \u2014 every day you wait is more money your employer keeps.<\/strong> <p>Liberation Law Group \u2014 Workers' Rights Advocates \u00b7 Fighting for Employees Since 2007 \u00b7 Free Consultation in Spanish or English \u00b7 No Fee Unless We Win.<\/p> <a href=\"tel:+18884422642\" class=\"phone\">1-888-442-2642<\/a> <a href=\"\/en\/contact-us\/\" class=\"link\">or request your free consultation online<\/a> <\/div> <h2>Frequently Asked Questions About Wage Theft in California<\/h2> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>My employer says I am \"salaried\" and not entitled to overtime. Is that true?<\/h3> <p>Almost certainly not. In California, only a very narrow and specific group of workers is truly exempt from overtime. To qualify as exempt you must meet two requirements simultaneously: earn at least <strong>$70,304 per year<\/strong> ($5,858.67 per month) AND spend more than 50% of your time performing genuine executive, administrative, or licensed professional functions (attorney, physician, licensed engineer).<\/p> <p>If your salary falls below that threshold \u2014 or if your actual day-to-day duties are operational rather than truly managerial \u2014 you are entitled to overtime pay regardless of your title or how your employer structures your compensation. The test is not what they call you; it is what you actually earn and what you actually do. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a free evaluation of your specific classification.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>What if I am undocumented and my employer threatens to report me if I claim my wages?<\/h3> <p>Immigration threats in response to a wage claim are completely illegal \u2014 and they dramatically increase the value of your case. The California Supreme Court has confirmed repeatedly that the state's labor laws protect all workers regardless of immigration status. Your right to minimum wage, overtime, break pay, and protection against retaliation does not depend on having documentation.<\/p> <p>If an employer threatens to \"call immigration\" because you claimed wages, that threat is evidence of illegal retaliation and can lead to significant punitive damages. In practice, this intimidation tactic makes the worker's legal case stronger \u2014 not weaker. Your information with us is protected by attorney-client privilege and is 100% confidential. Call 1-888-442-2642.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>How long do I have to claim stolen wages in California?<\/h3> <p>Most Labor Code violations have a <strong>3-year<\/strong> statute of limitations from the date of the last violation. If there is a written employment agreement that was violated, the deadline extends to <strong>4 years.<\/strong> Some specific penalties have a 1-year window.<\/p> <p>Even with a 3-year window, acting early consistently produces better outcomes. Time records get lost or destroyed. Pay stubs disappear. Witnesses change jobs. The evidence is strongest when the case is recent. Call 1-888-442-2642 as soon as you suspect you are not being paid correctly \u2014 the consultation is completely free.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>How much money can I recover in a wage theft case?<\/h3> <p>California wage cases can include several components: unpaid regular wages, unpaid overtime at 1.5x or 2x as applicable, one additional hour of pay per meal or rest break violation, waiting time penalties of up to 30 full days of wages if your final paycheck was not timely, interest on amounts owed, and attorney fees paid by the employer in most successful wage cases.<\/p> <p>In the Bay Area, straightforward unpaid overtime cases depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack. Cases with multiple violations \u2014 overtime plus break penalties plus misclassification \u2014 depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack per worker. When wage theft is combined with retaliation, total amounts are frequently higher still. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a specific, free evaluation of your situation.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>My employer calls me an \"independent contractor\" but controls everything I do. What are my rights?<\/h3> <p>What you describe is worker misclassification \u2014 one of the most common and most expensive labor violations in California. Under <strong>AB5<\/strong> and the ABC test it establishes, you are an employee if your employer: A) controls how you perform the work; B) the work you do is part of the employer's core business; or C) you do not have an independently established business in that field providing the same services to other customers.<\/p> <p>If you are an employee by law, you are owed retroactively all unpaid overtime, all break violations, workers' compensation coverage, Social Security contributions, and any other employee benefits withheld. Bay Area misclassification cases depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack per worker. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a free evaluation of your classification.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>Can my employer fire me for claiming my wages?<\/h3> <p>No \u2014 terminating you, cutting your hours, or worsening your working conditions because you claimed wages, filed an official complaint, spoke with an attorney, or cooperated with an investigation is illegal retaliation under California's Labor Code.<\/p> <p>The legal protection is particularly strong: if you made a wage claim and your employer took any adverse action within <strong>90 days,<\/strong> California law presumes it was retaliation. The employer must demonstrate it was not \u2014 which is very difficult in practice. When retaliation occurs you recover the original unpaid wages plus wrongful termination damages (frequently 2 to 5 years of lost income), emotional distress damages, and attorney fees paid by the employer. Call 1-888-442-2642 if this is happening to you.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>What documents do I need for the free consultation?<\/h3> <p>Ideally: pay stubs from the last 3 to 6 months, a personal record of the hours you actually worked (even a handwritten notebook counts), information about meal and rest breaks you received or were denied, any text messages or emails exchanged with your employer about pay or schedules, and your final paycheck if you have already left the job.<\/p> <p>But do not worry if you do not have all of this. We can move forward with significantly less. The absolute minimum we need to start the evaluation is: your full name, approximate employment dates, your employer's name, and your best estimate of the hours you worked per week. The rest can be built through the legal process if necessary. Call 1-888-442-2642 \u2014 the consultation is completely free.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>Does San Francisco have wage protections beyond California state law?<\/h3> <p>Yes \u2014 San Francisco has some of the strongest local labor protections in the country, and they apply to every employer in the city without exception. The minimum wage of $19.61 per hour is significantly higher than the California state minimum of $16.90. The Fair Workweek Ordinance gives many workers the right to predictable schedules and additional \"predictability pay\" when employers change schedules with insufficient notice.<\/p> <p>The city mandates at least 72 hours of annual paid sick leave for all workers including part-time and temporary employees. The Healthcare Security Ordinance requires employers with 20 or more employees to contribute to worker healthcare \u2014 $5.34 per hour for companies without insurance coverage, $2.67 per hour for partial coverage. If your employer has not been complying with these local obligations, those amounts can be added to what you recover. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a complete evaluation of your rights under San Francisco's local laws.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-footer-bar\"> <strong>Liberation Law Group \u2014 Employment Attorneys for Workers<\/strong> <p>2760 Mission Street 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94110 \u00b7 3 minutes from 24th Street Mission BART<\/p> <p>Cases in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Napa, Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo, and all of Northern California<\/p> <p><strong>1-888-442-2642<\/strong> \u00b7 Free Consultation in Spanish \u00b7 No Fee Unless We Win<\/p> <\/div> <p style=\"margin-top:28px;font-size:14px;color:#666;\"> Related pages: <a href=\"\/en\/wage-and-hour-attorney-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Wage and Hour<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/minimum-wage-attorney-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Minimum Wage<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/workplace-retaliation-attorney-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Workplace Retaliation<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/wrongful-termination-lawyer-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Wrongful Termination<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/employment-discrimination-lawyer-in-san-francisco-ca\/\">Workplace Discrimination<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Employment Rights in San Francisco<\/a> <\/p> <h2>Sources and Verification<\/h2> <p>Every figure and provision on this page can be checked in the official sources below. Minimum wages and the exempt threshold change annually, which is why this page carries a review date.<\/p> <ul class=\"llg-src\"> <li>California Labor Code §§ 98, 201-203, 226, 226.7, 510, 512, 1174, 1182.12, 1194, 2699, 2775, 2802, and 98.6 \u2014 <em>leginfo.legislature.ca.gov<\/em><\/li> <li>AB 5 (2019) and AB 2257 (2020), ABC test codified at §§ 2775-2787<\/li> <li>SB 497 (2023), 90-day retaliation presumption, effective January 1, 2024<\/li> <li>California state minimum wage for 2026: $16.90 per hour \u2014 Department of Industrial Relations, <em>dir.ca.gov<\/em><\/li> <li>2026 exempt salary threshold: $70,304 per year \/ $5,858.67 per month (twice the state minimum wage for a 40-hour week)<\/li> <li>San Francisco Minimum Wage Ordinance: $19.61 per hour as of July 1, 2026 \u2014 <em>sf.gov<\/em><\/li> <li>California Labor Commissioner \/ DLSE, Berman hearings \u2014 <em>dir.ca.gov\/dlse<\/em><\/li> <li>Bus. & Prof. Code § 17208 (four-year UCL period)<\/li> <li><em>Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services<\/em> (2022) 13 Cal.5th 93<\/li> <li><em>Troester v. Starbucks Corp.<\/em> (2018) 5 Cal.4th 829<\/li> <\/ul> <p class=\"llg-rev\">Last reviewed: October 2026. The minimum wage and exempt threshold figures are current for 2026 and change annually. This page provides general information about California law and is not legal advice for your specific situation.<\/p> <\/main> <aside class=\"llg-sidebar\"> <div class=\"llg-widget\"> <div class=\"llg-widget-title\">Services<\/div> <ul class=\"llg-menu-list\"> <li class=\"llg-menu-group\"> <details> <summary>Workplace Discrimination <span class=\"llg-menu-arrow\">\u25bc<\/span><\/summary> <ul class=\"llg-submenu\"> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-discrimination-lawyer-in-san-francisco-ca\/\">Workplace Discrimination<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/san-francisco-equal-pay-discrimination-lawyer-are-you-being-paid-less-than-your-coworkers\/\">Equal Pay Discrimination<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/gender-discrimination-lawyer-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Gender Discrimination<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/age-discrimination-lawyer-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Age Discrimination<\/a><\/li> <li><a 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href=\"\/en\/wage-and-hour-attorney-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Wage and Hour<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/wage-theft-lawyer-in-san-francisco-california\/\" class=\"active-sub\">Wage Theft Lawyer<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/minimum-wage-attorney-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Minimum Wage<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/details> <\/li> <li class=\"llg-menu-group\"><a href=\"\/en\/sexual-harassment-lawyer-in-the-workplace-san-francisco-ca\/\">Sexual Harassment<\/a><\/li> <li class=\"llg-menu-group\"><a href=\"\/en\/workplace-retaliation-attorney-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Workplace Retaliation<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-widget\"> <div class=\"llg-widget-title\">Areas We Serve<\/div> <ul class=\"llg-menu-list\"> <li class=\"llg-menu-group\"><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-san-francisco-california\/\">San Francisco<\/a><\/li> <li class=\"llg-menu-group\"> <details> <summary>North Bay <span class=\"llg-menu-arrow\">\u25bc<\/span><\/summary> <ul class=\"llg-submenu\"> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-sonoma-county-california\/\">Sonoma County<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-lawyers-in-marin-county-california\/\">Marin County<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-napa-county-california\/\">Napa County<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-santa-rosa-california\/\">Santa Rosa<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-vallejo-california\/\">Vallejo<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-american-canyon-california\/\">American Canyon<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-solano-county-california\/\">Solano County<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/details> <\/li> <li class=\"llg-menu-group\"> <details> <summary>Bay Area <span class=\"llg-menu-arrow\">\u25bc<\/span><\/summary> <ul class=\"llg-submenu\"> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-san-mateo-county-california\/\">San Mateo County<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-oakland-california\/\">Oakland<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-alameda-california\/\">Alameda<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-berkeley-california\/\">Berkeley<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-san-leandro-california\/\">San Leandro<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-hayward-california\/\">Hayward<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-fremont-california\/\">Fremont<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-pleasanton-california\/\">Pleasanton<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-richmond-california\/\">Richmond<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-san-jose-california\/\">San Jose<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-monterey-california\/\">Monterey County<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-watsonville-california\/\">Watsonville<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-santa-cruz-california\/\">Santa Cruz County<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/details> <\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-contact-widget\"> <div class=\"llg-contact-title\">Contact Us<\/div> <div class=\"llg-contact-body\"> <p>Free consultation in Spanish or English.<br>No obligation. No fee unless we win.<\/p> \r\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\tbody #wpforms-1557 .wpforms-submit-container .wpforms-submit, body #wpforms-1557 .wpforms-field-pagebreak button.wpforms-page-button {\r\n\t\tfont-weight: bold;text-align:center ;color:#ffffff ;background-color:#077088 ;width:500px ;\t\tborder-width: 0px;\t}\r\n\r\n\tbody #wpforms-1557 .wpforms-submit-container .wpforms-submit:hover, body #wpforms-1557 .wpforms-field-pagebreak button.wpforms-page-button:hover {\r\n\t\t\t}\r\n\r\n\tbody #wpforms-1557 .wpforms-submit-container,\r\n\tbody #wpforms-1557 .wpforms-field-pagebreak .wpforms-pagebreak-left{\r\n\ttext-align:center;\t}\r\n\r\n\r\n\tbody #wpforms-1557 .wpforms-form .wpforms-field input[type=text],\r\n\tbody #wpforms-1557 .wpforms-form .wpforms-field input[type=email],\r\n\tbody #wpforms-1557 .wpforms-form .wpforms-field input[type=tel],\r\n\tbody #wpforms-1557 .wpforms-form .wpforms-field input[type=url],\r\n\tbody #wpforms-1557 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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\nWage Theft Lawyer San Francisco | Unpaid Overtime | Liberation Law Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Not paid overtime in San Francisco? Arlo Uriarte recovers stolen wages \u2014 restaurants, cleaning, construction, hotels. Free consultation in Spanish. 1-888-442-2642.\">\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Cormorant+Garamond:wght@400;500;600;700&family=DM+Sans:wght@300;400;500;600&display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\">\n\n<\/head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"llg-page\"> <script type=\"application\/ld+json\">[{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":[\"LegalService\",\"LocalBusiness\"],\"name\":\"Liberation Law Group, P.C.\",\"alternateName\":\"Employment Attorneys for Workers\",\"description\":\"Wage theft and unpaid overtime attorneys in San Francisco. Arlo Uriarte recovers stolen wages for workers in restaurants, cleaning, construction, hotels, and all Bay Area industries. Free consultation in Spanish and English.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/wage-theft-lawyer-in-san-francisco-california\/\",\"telephone\":\"+18884422642\",\"priceRange\":\"Free Consultation \u2014 No Fee Unless We Win\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/liberation-law-group-san-francisco-employment-lawyers-team.png\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"2760 Mission Street 2nd floor\",\"addressLocality\":\"San Francisco\",\"addressRegion\":\"CA\",\"postalCode\":\"94110\",\"addressCountry\":\"US\"},\"geo\":{\"@type\":\"GeoCoordinates\",\"latitude\":37.75019999999999953388396534137427806854248046875,\"longitude\":-122.41870000000000118234311230480670928955078125},\"areaServed\":[{\"@type\":\"City\",\"name\":\"San Francisco\"},{\"@type\":\"City\",\"name\":\"San Jose\"},{\"@type\":\"City\",\"name\":\"Oakland\"},{\"@type\":\"County\",\"name\":\"Napa County\"},{\"@type\":\"County\",\"name\":\"Sonoma County\"},{\"@type\":\"State\",\"name\":\"California\"}],\"serviceType\":[\"Wage Theft\",\"Unpaid Overtime\",\"Minimum Wage Violations\",\"Meal and Rest Break Violations\",\"Worker Misclassification\",\"Waiting Time Penalties\",\"Retaliation for Wage Claims\"],\"employee\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Arlo Uriarte\",\"jobTitle\":\"Employment Attorney\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/profiles.superlawyers.com\/california-northern\/san-francisco\/lawyer\/arlo-uriarte\/dcacf9be-ddd4-4d70-b305-ef6874fe34ea.html\",\"https:\/\/www.avvo.com\/attorneys\/94110-ca-arlo-uriarte-67774.html\",\"https:\/\/apps.calbar.ca.gov\/attorney\/Licensee\/Detail\/231764\"]},\"openingHoursSpecification\":[{\"@type\":\"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\"dayOfWeek\":[\"Monday\",\"Tuesday\",\"Wednesday\",\"Thursday\"],\"opens\":\"09:00\",\"closes\":\"20:00\"},{\"@type\":\"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\"dayOfWeek\":\"Friday\",\"opens\":\"09:00\",\"closes\":\"18:00\"},{\"@type\":\"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\"dayOfWeek\":[\"Saturday\",\"Sunday\"],\"opens\":\"09:00\",\"closes\":\"17:00\"}],\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\",\"https:\/\/profiles.superlawyers.com\/california\/san-francisco\/lawfirm\/liberation-law-group-pc\/b296b863-3c95-4d1b-b084-facaf6b0d152.html\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/liberationlaw\/\",\"https:\/\/www.yelp.com\/biz\/liberation-law-group-pc-san-francisco-2\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/#organization\/\"},{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Arlo Uriarte\",\"jobTitle\":\"Employment Attorney\",\"description\":\"Employment attorney with over 20 years recovering stolen wages for workers in San Francisco and throughout Northern California.\",\"telephone\":\"+18884422642\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\",\"worksFor\":{\"@type\":\"LegalService\",\"name\":\"Liberation Law Group, P.C.\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/#organization\/\"},\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"2760 Mission Street 2nd floor\",\"addressLocality\":\"San Francisco\",\"addressRegion\":\"CA\",\"postalCode\":\"94110\",\"addressCountry\":\"US\"},\"knowsLanguage\":[\"en\",\"es\"],\"areaServed\":\"Northern California\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/profiles.superlawyers.com\/california-northern\/san-francisco\/lawyer\/arlo-uriarte\/dcacf9be-ddd4-4d70-b305-ef6874fe34ea.html\",\"https:\/\/www.avvo.com\/attorneys\/94110-ca-arlo-uriarte-67774.html\",\"https:\/\/apps.calbar.ca.gov\/attorney\/Licensee\/Detail\/231764\"]},{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"My employer says I am 'salaried' and not entitled to overtime. Is that true?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Probably not. In California, only a narrow set of workers are truly exempt from overtime. To qualify as exempt you must earn at least $70,304 annually AND spend more than 50% of your time in genuine executive, administrative, or licensed professional duties. If your salary is below that threshold or your actual duties are operational, you are entitled to overtime regardless of your title. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a free evaluation.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What if I am undocumented and my employer threatens to report me if I claim wages?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Those immigration threats are completely illegal and dramatically increase the value of your case. California labor law protects all workers regardless of immigration status. If an employer threatens immigration consequences in response to a wage claim, that threat is illegal retaliation that can lead to punitive damages. Your information with us is 100% confidential. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How long do I have to claim stolen wages in California?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Three years for most Labor Code violations from the last violation. Four years if there is a written agreement violated. One year for some specific penalties. Acting early always produces better results \u2014 records disappear and witnesses change jobs. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How much money can I recover in a wage theft case?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Unpaid regular wages, unpaid overtime at 1.5x or 2x, one hour of extra pay per meal or rest break violation, waiting time penalties of up to 30 days of wages, and attorney fees paid by the employer. Simple overtime cases depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack. Cases with multiple violations depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"My employer calls me an 'independent contractor' but controls everything I do. What can I do?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Under California's AB5 law and the ABC test, you are an employee if your employer controls how you do the work, the work is part of the employer's core business, and you don't have an independent business in that field. As an employee by law, you are owed all unpaid overtime, break penalties, and benefits retroactively. These cases depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can my employer fire me for claiming wages?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No \u2014 terminating you for claiming wages is illegal retaliation. If you are fired within 90 days of making a wage claim, the law presumes it was retaliation. You recover the original unpaid wages plus wrongful termination damages, emotional distress, and attorney fees paid by the employer. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What documents do I need for the consultation?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Ideally: pay stubs from the last 3\u20136 months, a personal record of hours actually worked, information about breaks taken or denied, and any messages with your employer about pay or schedules. If you don't have everything, we can work with your name, employment dates, employer name, and your best estimate of hours worked per week. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Does San Francisco have wage protections beyond California state law?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. San Francisco's minimum wage is $19.61 per hour, higher than the state minimum of $16.90. The Fair Workweek Ordinance gives workers the right to predictable schedules and additional pay when schedules change with insufficient notice. The city mandates at least 72 hours of paid sick leave annually including part-time workers. The Healthcare Security Ordinance requires large employers to contribute to employee healthcare. Call 1-888-442-2642.\"}}]}]<\/script>  <div class=\"llg-hero\"> <div class=\"llg-hero-bg\"><\/div> <div class=\"llg-hero-overlay\"><\/div> <div class=\"llg-hero-content\"> <h1>Wage Theft Lawyer in San Francisco \u2014 Unpaid Overtime, Stolen Wages & Break Violations<\/h1> <p>Workers' Rights Advocates \u00b7 Fighting for Employees Since 2007 \u00b7 We Represent Employees \u2014 Never Employers \u00b7 Plaintiff-Side Employment Attorneys \u00b7 Hablamos Espa\u00f1ol \u00b7 Free consultation<\/p> <div class=\"llg-hero-cta\"> <a href=\"tel:+18884422642\" class=\"llg-btn-phone\">1-888-442-2642<\/a> <a href=\"\/en\/contact-us\/\" class=\"llg-btn-contact\" style=\"color:#ffffff !important;-webkit-text-fill-color:#ffffff;\">Free Consultation<\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>  <img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/abogado-de-horas-y-salarios-en-San-Francisco.webp\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Wage theft and unpaid overtime attorney in San Francisco \u2014 Liberation Law Group employment lawyers for workers\" class=\"llg-featured-image lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/abogado-de-horas-y-salarios-en-San-Francisco.webp\" alt=\"Wage theft and unpaid overtime attorney in San Francisco \u2014 Liberation Law Group employment lawyers for workers\" class=\"llg-featured-image\"><\/noscript> <div class=\"llg-layout\"> <main class=\"llg-content\"> <p>You work 55 hours a week but only get paid for 40. Your employer makes you work through your lunch break without extra pay. They call you a \"contractor\" but control every hour of your workday. Or they tell you that because you are \"salaried,\" you have no right to overtime.<\/p> <p>What you are describing has a legal name: <strong>wage theft.<\/strong> And in California \u2014 where labor laws are the strongest in the country \u2014 it is completely illegal.<\/p> <p>My name is Arlo Uriarte. I am an employment attorney at Liberation Law Group and I have spent over 20 years recovering stolen wages for workers in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and throughout Northern California. We are a plaintiff's firm \u2014 we file cases, we fight for workers, and we do not defend employers. Our office is at <strong>2760 Mission Street<\/strong> in the Mission District, three minutes from 24th Street BART. We speak Spanish, and we know exactly how to build a wage theft case that results in maximum recovery for the worker.<\/p> <p>If you are not being paid correctly, <a href=\"\/en\/contact-us\/\">call today for a free consultation<\/a> in Spanish or English. No cost, no obligation, regardless of immigration status.<\/p> <h2>How Overtime Works in California \u2014 The Exact Rules<\/h2> <p>California has the most protective overtime rules in the country. The calculation is not just weekly as under federal law \u2014 it is also daily. That means you may be entitled to overtime even if you did not work more than 40 hours in a given week.<\/p> <div class=\"llg-ot-grid\"> <div class=\"llg-ot-item\"> <strong>Time and a Half (1.5x your hourly rate)<\/strong> <span>After 8 hours in a single day \u00b7 After 40 hours in a workweek \u00b7 The first 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day of work in a workweek<\/span> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-ot-item\"> <strong>Double Time (2x your hourly rate)<\/strong> <span>After 12 hours in a single day \u00b7 After 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day of work in a workweek<\/span> <\/div> <\/div> <p>A concrete example: if you work 10 hours in one day at $20 per hour, you are owed $160 for the first 8 hours plus $60 for the 2 overtime hours (at 1.5x = $30\/hour). That is $220 \u2014 not the $200 many employers pay. Multiplied over 5 days a week for a year, the difference is substantial.<\/p> <h2>The Legal Authority Behind Your Claim \u2014 Every Rule, With Its Exact Citation<\/h2> <p>Wage theft is proven with the California Labor Code in hand. These are the provisions that govern a wage and hour claim, with the citation so you can verify them or take them to any attorney.<\/p> <table class=\"llg-law\"> <thead><tr><th>Provision<\/th><th>What it establishes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> <tbody> <tr><td>Labor Code § 510<\/td><td>Overtime: 1.5 times your rate for more than 8 hours in a day or more than 40 in a week, and <strong>double time<\/strong> beyond 12 hours in a day or beyond 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day worked.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 1182.12<\/td><td>State minimum wage: <strong>$16.90 per hour<\/strong> as of January 1, 2026, for employers of every size.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>San Francisco ordinance<\/td><td>Local minimum wage: <strong>$19.61 per hour<\/strong> as of July 1, 2026. If you work in San Francisco, the higher of the two applies.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code §§ 512, 226.7<\/td><td>Meals and breaks: an unpaid 30-minute meal period before the end of the fifth hour, plus paid 10-minute rest breaks. If one is denied or interrupted, the employer owes <strong>one additional hour of pay per day<\/strong>, for each type of break.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 2775<\/td><td>The ABC test for worker classification (AB 5, reorganized by AB 2257 into §§ 2775-2787). You are presumed an <strong>employee<\/strong> unless the company proves all three conditions. The burden is on the employer, not you.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code §§ 201-202<\/td><td>Final pay: if you are fired, payment is due <strong>immediately<\/strong>. If you quit with 72 hours' notice, on your last day; without notice, within 72 hours.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 203<\/td><td>Waiting-time penalty for late final pay: up to <strong>30 days<\/strong> of full wages.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 226(e)<\/td><td>Inaccurate pay stubs: $50 for the first violation and $100 for each subsequent one, capped at <strong>$4,000<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 1194<\/td><td>The right to sue for unpaid minimum wage and overtime, <strong>plus interest and attorney's fees<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 2802<\/td><td>The employer must reimburse necessary work expenses: tools, uniforms, mileage, and use of your personal phone.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code §§ 1174, 1174.5<\/td><td>The employer must keep accurate time records. Failing to do so carries its own penalty and, in practice, <strong>resolves doubt in the worker's favor<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 2699<\/td><td>PAGA: $100 per employee per pay period for an initial violation and $200 for subsequent ones, when you act on the state's behalf.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 98<\/td><td>A claim with the Labor Commissioner and a Berman hearing, an alternative to court that does not require an attorney.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 98.6 + SB 497<\/td><td>Bars retaliation for claiming wages, with a <strong>rebuttable presumption of retaliation<\/strong> if the adverse action happens within 90 days of your complaint (effective January 1, 2024).<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Labor Code § 1019<\/td><td>Threatening you with immigration consequences for claiming your wages is a separate violation worth up to $10,000.<\/td><\/tr> <tr><td>Bus. & Prof. Code § 17208<\/td><td>A <strong>four-year<\/strong> period when the claim is brought under the Unfair Competition Law, against the general three years under the Labor Code.<\/td><\/tr> <\/tbody> <\/table> <div class=\"llg-callout\"> <p>The 2026 exempt salary threshold is <strong>$70,304 per year ($5,858.67 per month)<\/strong> \u2014 twice the state minimum wage for a 40-hour week. If you earn less than that, <strong>no \"manager\" title takes away your right to overtime<\/strong>. And meeting the salary threshold is not enough on its own: you must also spend more than half your time on genuinely executive, administrative, or professional duties.<\/p> <p>General information about California law. Not legal advice for your specific situation.<\/p> <\/div> <h3>Two decisions that substantially increase what you are owed<\/h3> <p><strong><em>Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services<\/em> (2022) 13 Cal.5th 93.<\/strong> The California Supreme Court held that missed-break premium pay <strong>is wages<\/strong>, not merely a penalty. The practical consequence is large: a denied break no longer costs only one hour of pay, it also triggers § 226 penalties for an inaccurate wage statement and § 203 waiting-time penalties on separation. A pattern of interrupted breaks over months can be worth several times the unpaid hours themselves.<\/p> <p><strong><em>Troester v. Starbucks Corp.<\/em> (2018) 5 Cal.4th 829.<\/strong> California rejected the federal <em>de minimis<\/em> rule: small but regular off-the-clock minutes \u2014 locking up, shutting down systems, waiting for a bag check \u2014 <strong>must be paid<\/strong>. Ten minutes a day for a year is more than 40 hours of unpaid work.<\/p>\n<h2>The Types of Wage Theft We See Every Week<\/h2> <h3>Unpaid Overtime<\/h3> <p>The most common form. The employer records 8 hours even though the worker arrived 30 minutes early and left 45 minutes late. Or the employer simply does not pay overtime because \"there's no budget.\" The employer's budget problems are not your legal problem \u2014 if you worked the hours, you are entitled to the pay.<\/p> <h3>Minimum Wage Violations<\/h3> <p>San Francisco's minimum wage is <strong>$19.61 per hour<\/strong> \u2014 higher than the California state minimum of $16.90 and far above the federal floor of $7.25. Any payment below that rate is illegal, even if you signed an agreement accepting less. Stealing tips, not paying training time, and shaving hours off time records are also minimum wage violations.<\/p> <h3>Meal and Rest Break Violations<\/h3> <p>For every 5 hours worked you have the right to a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break that your employer cannot interrupt. For every 4 hours worked you have the right to a 10-minute paid rest break. If those breaks are denied or interrupted, the employer owes you <strong>one additional hour of pay per violation<\/strong> \u2014 separately from whatever else you earn that day.<\/p> <h3>Worker Misclassification \u2014 \"Independent Contractor\"<\/h3> <p>One of the most expensive and most common forms of wage theft in California. Many employers label workers as \"contractors\" to avoid paying overtime, workers' compensation, and payroll taxes. California's <strong>AB5 law<\/strong> establishes the ABC test: if your employer sets your schedule, provides your tools, and controls how you do the work, you are an employee by law \u2014 regardless of what they call you. And if you are an employee by law, you are owed everything they failed to pay you retroactively.<\/p> <h3>The \"Salaried Means No Overtime\" Myth<\/h3> <p>This is the most costly misconception for workers. \"Salaried\" does not automatically mean exempt from overtime. In California, to be truly exempt you must earn at least <strong>$70,304 per year<\/strong> ($5,858.67 per month) AND spend more than 50% of your time performing genuine executive, administrative, or licensed professional functions. If you do not meet both criteria, you are entitled to overtime \u2014 even if your employer calls you a \"manager\" or \"supervisor.\"<\/p> <h3>Waiting Time Penalties \u2014 Your Final Paycheck<\/h3> <p>If your employer did not deliver your final paycheck immediately upon termination (or within 72 hours if you resigned with notice), you are owed a penalty of <strong>up to 30 full days of wages.<\/strong> This single point alone depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack for a full-time worker \u2014 and most workers do not know this right exists.<\/p> <p><a href=\"\/en\/workplace-retaliation-attorney-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Learn about your rights if your employer retaliates against you for claiming wages.<\/a><\/p> <div class=\"llg-cta-box\"> <strong>Are you being underpaid? Arlo Uriarte evaluates your case for free today.<\/strong> <p>20+ years recovering stolen wages in San Francisco and the Bay Area. We represent employees \u2014 never employers. No fee unless we win.<\/p> <a href=\"tel:+18884422642\" class=\"phone\">1-888-442-2642<\/a> <a href=\"\/en\/contact-us\/\" class=\"link\">or request your free case evaluation here<\/a> <\/div> <h2>San Francisco's Additional Wage Protections<\/h2> <p>San Francisco has local labor laws that go beyond California state protections \u2014 and they apply to every employer in the city regardless of size.<\/p> <div class=\"llg-sf-grid\"> <div class=\"llg-sf-card\"> <strong>San Francisco Minimum Wage<\/strong> <span>$19.61 per hour \u2014 higher than the state minimum ($16.90) and far above the federal floor ($7.25). No exceptions for \"small business\" or \"family business.\" Every employer in the city must comply.<\/span> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sf-card\"> <strong>Fair Workweek Ordinance<\/strong> <span>Workers have the right to predictable schedules. If your employer changes your schedule without sufficient advance notice, you are owed additional \"predictability pay.\" Applies to employers with 10 or more workers.<\/span> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sf-card\"> <strong>Paid Sick Leave<\/strong> <span>You accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave per 30 hours worked, with a minimum of 72 hours per year. Includes part-time and temporary workers. Employers cannot retaliate for using this benefit.<\/span> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sf-card\"> <strong>Healthcare Security Ordinance<\/strong> <span>Large employers must contribute to employee healthcare \u2014 $5.34\/hour for companies without insurance, $2.67\/hour for partial coverage. If your employer fails to comply, those amounts are owed to you retroactively.<\/span> <\/div> <\/div> <h2>How What You Are Owed Is Actually Calculated<\/h2> <p>We do not publish case value ranges, because a range without your facts is not useful information. What we can show you is how the calculation is built, with the real rules and arithmetic you can repeat using your own numbers.<\/p> <div class=\"llg-sign-item\"> <span class=\"num\">1<\/span> <strong>Unpaid overtime<\/strong> <p>Hours beyond 8 a day or 40 a week at 1.5 times your rate; beyond 12 a day at double time. Example: 10 overtime hours a week at $20 an hour means $10 an hour in unpaid time-and-a-half premium, which comes to $5,200 over a 52-week year.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sign-item\"> <span class=\"num\">2<\/span> <strong>Break premiums, which now pull more behind them<\/strong> <p>One hour of pay for each denied or interrupted meal period, plus another for each denied rest break, per day. At $20 an hour, occurring every working day for a year, that is roughly $10,400. And under <em>Naranjo<\/em>, because they are wages, they also trigger § 226 and § 203 penalties.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sign-item\"> <span class=\"num\">3<\/span> <strong>The late final paycheck penalty<\/strong> <p>Up to 30 days of full wages under § 203. For someone earning $180 a day, that is $5,400 from this item alone, and it is separate from the wages you are owed.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sign-item\"> <span class=\"num\">4<\/span> <strong>Inaccurate pay stubs<\/strong> <p>$50 for the first violation and $100 for each subsequent one, up to $4,000 under § 226(e).<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-sign-item\"> <span class=\"num\">5<\/span> <strong>Attorney's fees and the deadline that favors you<\/strong> <p>Under § 1194 the employer pays the fees in minimum wage and overtime claims. And filing under the Unfair Competition Law extends the recoverable period from three years to four.<\/p> <\/div> <p>The figures above are arithmetic on an assumed $20 hourly rate, not a prediction of what your case is worth. What actually determines the outcome is how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, whether the employer kept them as § 1174 requires, and whether retaliation followed your complaint.<\/p> <div class=\"llg-cta-box\"> <strong>Bring your pay stubs and we will run the calculation with you, at no cost.<\/strong> <p>No obligation. Regardless of your immigration status. We speak Spanish.<\/p> <a href=\"tel:+18884422642\" class=\"phone\">1-888-442-2642<\/a> <a href=\"\/en\/contact\/\" class=\"link\">or request your free case evaluation here<\/a> <\/div>\n<h2>Wage Theft by Industry in San Francisco<\/h2> <h3>Restaurants \u2014 Mission District, North Beach, Castro, Chinatown<\/h3> <p>San Francisco's restaurants have the highest rate of wage violations of any industry in the city. Servers performing side work without extra pay. Cooks working 12-hour shifts recorded as 8. Managers stealing tips or creating illegal tip pools. Lunch rushes where breaks never happen. These patterns repeat in restaurants from North Beach near Washington Square Park to the Mission District along 24th Street.<\/p> <h3>Office Cleaning \u2014 Financial District, SoMa<\/h3> <p>Cleaning companies that service the skyscrapers of the Financial District and the tech offices of SoMa have some of the worst wage compliance records in California. Work done \"off the clock\" before and after shifts. No pay for travel time between buildings. Misclassification as contractors to avoid overtime. No overtime for shifts that routinely exceed 8 hours.<\/p> <h3>Construction \u2014 Mission Bay, Bayview, Transbay<\/h3> <p>At construction sites near Chase Center in Mission Bay, in Bayview-Hunters Point projects, and at the Transbay complex, wage theft takes specific forms: cash payments \"under the table\" without accurate hour records, widespread misclassification as contractors, no pay for tool preparation time, and seven-day workweeks without correct seventh-day overtime.<\/p> <h3>Hotels \u2014 Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf<\/h3> <p>At hotels around Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf, housekeeping staff work through meal breaks to handle urgent checkout rooms without additional pay. Front desk staff work split shifts without the required premium. Banquet service workers go unpaid for setup and breakdown time. Management illegally skims from tip pools.<\/p> <h3>Domestic Work and Elder Care \u2014 Pacific Heights, Marina<\/h3> <p>Domestic workers and caregivers in Pacific Heights and the Marina face some of the most serious wage violations because they frequently work in isolation. 24-hour shifts without correct overtime calculation for sleep time. Live-in workers not receiving minimum wage. No meal or rest breaks during long shifts. California's AB 241 provides specific wage and hour protections for domestic workers in the state.<\/p> <h2>Retaliation for Wage Claims \u2014 Your Legal Protection<\/h2> <p>One of the most common patterns: a worker asks about their overtime or claims unpaid wages, and the employer fires them, cuts their hours, or moves them to the worst shift. That is <strong>illegal retaliation<\/strong> \u2014 and it significantly increases the total value of the case.<\/p> <p>The key protection: once you report wage theft in writing \u2014 by text, email, or formal complaint \u2014 any negative action the employer takes within <strong>90 days is legally presumed to be retaliation.<\/strong> The employer must prove it was not \u2014 which is extremely difficult in practice.<\/p> <p>When retaliation occurs, the case includes the original unpaid wages plus wrongful termination damages (frequently 2 to 5 years of lost wages), emotional distress damages, and attorney fees paid by the employer.<\/p> <h2>What to Do Now<\/h2> <div class=\"llg-step\"> <div class=\"llg-step-num\">1<\/div> <div class=\"llg-step-body\"> <strong>Document your hours in real time<\/strong> <p>Write down every day in a personal notebook or your phone: your start time, end time, and breaks taken or denied. Take photos of the time clock if possible. Keep this information on personal devices \u2014 not company equipment.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-step\"> <div class=\"llg-step-num\">2<\/div> <div class=\"llg-step-body\"> <strong>Save all pay stubs and communications<\/strong> <p>Forward pay stubs to your personal email. Save any text or email exchanges with your employer about pay, schedules, or breaks. Once you leave the job, you will lose access to company systems and that evidence may disappear permanently.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-step\"> <div class=\"llg-step-num\">3<\/div> <div class=\"llg-step-body\"> <strong>Put the complaint in writing when safe to do so<\/strong> <p>A text message to your manager asking why you were not paid overtime creates powerful evidence. An employer who responds \"there's no budget\" is admitting they know their legal obligation and are ignoring it. Save every response.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-step\"> <div class=\"llg-step-num\">4<\/div> <div class=\"llg-step-body\"> <strong>Call an attorney before filing an official complaint<\/strong> <p>Before going to the Labor Commissioner or the DLSE, speak with an employment attorney. The strategy for where and how to file a wage claim affects the outcome. Our consultation is completely free. Call 1-888-442-2642.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-step\"> <div class=\"llg-step-num\">5<\/div> <div class=\"llg-step-body\"> <strong>Act within the 3-year window \u2014 sooner is always better<\/strong> <p>California gives 3 years to claim most stolen wages, 4 years if there is a written agreement violated. But the earlier you act, the stronger the evidence and the higher the recovery. Call 1-888-442-2642 today.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <h2>What You Can Recover<\/h2> <ul> <li><strong>Unpaid regular wages<\/strong> \u2014 everything your employer should have paid<\/li> <li><strong>Unpaid overtime<\/strong> \u2014 at 1.5x or 2x as applicable under California law<\/li> <li><strong>Meal and rest break penalties<\/strong> \u2014 one additional hour of pay per violation<\/li> <li><strong>Waiting time penalties<\/strong> \u2014 up to 30 days of wages if your final check was not timely<\/li> <li><strong>Interest on amounts owed<\/strong><\/li> <li><strong>Attorney fees paid by the employer<\/strong> \u2014 in most successful California wage cases<\/li> <\/ul> <h2>What Workers Who Have Been in Similar Situations Say<\/h2> <div class=\"llg-callout\"> <p>\"They treated me well and the settlement was awesome. I would recommend to anyone looking for legal help. Very grateful!\"<\/p> <p>\u2014 Ismael Pochon, Google review<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-callout\"> <p>\"Mr. Arlo Uriarte, as my lawyer: I would like to express my most sincere thanks for the representation of my case in excellent manner. I admire your composure and work ethics.\"<\/p> <p>\u2014 Klentmari Araza, Google review<\/p> <\/div> <h2>Where We Serve<\/h2> <p>Our office is at <strong>2760 Mission Street 2nd floor<\/strong> in the Mission District \u2014 three minutes from 24th Street Mission BART, near Dolores Park. We handle cases throughout San Francisco (Mission, SoMa, Financial District, North Beach, Chinatown, Castro, Bayview, Excelsior, Union Square), Oakland (Fruitvale \u2014 53.8% Hispanic), Hayward (40.7% Latino), San Jose, Napa County (35.4% Latino), Sonoma County (28.9% Latino), Santa Rosa, Vallejo, San Mateo County, and all of Northern California.<\/p> <div class=\"llg-cta-box\"> <strong>Call Arlo Uriarte today \u2014 every day you wait is more money your employer keeps.<\/strong> <p>Liberation Law Group \u2014 Workers' Rights Advocates \u00b7 Fighting for Employees Since 2007 \u00b7 Free Consultation in Spanish or English \u00b7 No Fee Unless We Win.<\/p> <a href=\"tel:+18884422642\" class=\"phone\">1-888-442-2642<\/a> <a href=\"\/en\/contact-us\/\" class=\"link\">or request your free consultation online<\/a> <\/div> <h2>Frequently Asked Questions About Wage Theft in California<\/h2> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>My employer says I am \"salaried\" and not entitled to overtime. Is that true?<\/h3> <p>Almost certainly not. In California, only a very narrow and specific group of workers is truly exempt from overtime. To qualify as exempt you must meet two requirements simultaneously: earn at least <strong>$70,304 per year<\/strong> ($5,858.67 per month) AND spend more than 50% of your time performing genuine executive, administrative, or licensed professional functions (attorney, physician, licensed engineer).<\/p> <p>If your salary falls below that threshold \u2014 or if your actual day-to-day duties are operational rather than truly managerial \u2014 you are entitled to overtime pay regardless of your title or how your employer structures your compensation. The test is not what they call you; it is what you actually earn and what you actually do. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a free evaluation of your specific classification.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>What if I am undocumented and my employer threatens to report me if I claim my wages?<\/h3> <p>Immigration threats in response to a wage claim are completely illegal \u2014 and they dramatically increase the value of your case. The California Supreme Court has confirmed repeatedly that the state's labor laws protect all workers regardless of immigration status. Your right to minimum wage, overtime, break pay, and protection against retaliation does not depend on having documentation.<\/p> <p>If an employer threatens to \"call immigration\" because you claimed wages, that threat is evidence of illegal retaliation and can lead to significant punitive damages. In practice, this intimidation tactic makes the worker's legal case stronger \u2014 not weaker. Your information with us is protected by attorney-client privilege and is 100% confidential. Call 1-888-442-2642.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>How long do I have to claim stolen wages in California?<\/h3> <p>Most Labor Code violations have a <strong>3-year<\/strong> statute of limitations from the date of the last violation. If there is a written employment agreement that was violated, the deadline extends to <strong>4 years.<\/strong> Some specific penalties have a 1-year window.<\/p> <p>Even with a 3-year window, acting early consistently produces better outcomes. Time records get lost or destroyed. Pay stubs disappear. Witnesses change jobs. The evidence is strongest when the case is recent. Call 1-888-442-2642 as soon as you suspect you are not being paid correctly \u2014 the consultation is completely free.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>How much money can I recover in a wage theft case?<\/h3> <p>California wage cases can include several components: unpaid regular wages, unpaid overtime at 1.5x or 2x as applicable, one additional hour of pay per meal or rest break violation, waiting time penalties of up to 30 full days of wages if your final paycheck was not timely, interest on amounts owed, and attorney fees paid by the employer in most successful wage cases.<\/p> <p>In the Bay Area, straightforward unpaid overtime cases depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack. Cases with multiple violations \u2014 overtime plus break penalties plus misclassification \u2014 depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack per worker. When wage theft is combined with retaliation, total amounts are frequently higher still. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a specific, free evaluation of your situation.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>My employer calls me an \"independent contractor\" but controls everything I do. What are my rights?<\/h3> <p>What you describe is worker misclassification \u2014 one of the most common and most expensive labor violations in California. Under <strong>AB5<\/strong> and the ABC test it establishes, you are an employee if your employer: A) controls how you perform the work; B) the work you do is part of the employer's core business; or C) you do not have an independently established business in that field providing the same services to other customers.<\/p> <p>If you are an employee by law, you are owed retroactively all unpaid overtime, all break violations, workers' compensation coverage, Social Security contributions, and any other employee benefits withheld. Bay Area misclassification cases depends on how many weeks you can document, whether time records exist, and how many categories of violation stack per worker. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a free evaluation of your classification.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>Can my employer fire me for claiming my wages?<\/h3> <p>No \u2014 terminating you, cutting your hours, or worsening your working conditions because you claimed wages, filed an official complaint, spoke with an attorney, or cooperated with an investigation is illegal retaliation under California's Labor Code.<\/p> <p>The legal protection is particularly strong: if you made a wage claim and your employer took any adverse action within <strong>90 days,<\/strong> California law presumes it was retaliation. The employer must demonstrate it was not \u2014 which is very difficult in practice. When retaliation occurs you recover the original unpaid wages plus wrongful termination damages (frequently 2 to 5 years of lost income), emotional distress damages, and attorney fees paid by the employer. Call 1-888-442-2642 if this is happening to you.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>What documents do I need for the free consultation?<\/h3> <p>Ideally: pay stubs from the last 3 to 6 months, a personal record of the hours you actually worked (even a handwritten notebook counts), information about meal and rest breaks you received or were denied, any text messages or emails exchanged with your employer about pay or schedules, and your final paycheck if you have already left the job.<\/p> <p>But do not worry if you do not have all of this. We can move forward with significantly less. The absolute minimum we need to start the evaluation is: your full name, approximate employment dates, your employer's name, and your best estimate of the hours you worked per week. The rest can be built through the legal process if necessary. Call 1-888-442-2642 \u2014 the consultation is completely free.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-faq-item\"> <h3>Does San Francisco have wage protections beyond California state law?<\/h3> <p>Yes \u2014 San Francisco has some of the strongest local labor protections in the country, and they apply to every employer in the city without exception. The minimum wage of $19.61 per hour is significantly higher than the California state minimum of $16.90. The Fair Workweek Ordinance gives many workers the right to predictable schedules and additional \"predictability pay\" when employers change schedules with insufficient notice.<\/p> <p>The city mandates at least 72 hours of annual paid sick leave for all workers including part-time and temporary employees. The Healthcare Security Ordinance requires employers with 20 or more employees to contribute to worker healthcare \u2014 $5.34 per hour for companies without insurance coverage, $2.67 per hour for partial coverage. If your employer has not been complying with these local obligations, those amounts can be added to what you recover. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a complete evaluation of your rights under San Francisco's local laws.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-footer-bar\"> <strong>Liberation Law Group \u2014 Employment Attorneys for Workers<\/strong> <p>2760 Mission Street 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94110 \u00b7 3 minutes from 24th Street Mission BART<\/p> <p>Cases in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Napa, Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo, and all of Northern California<\/p> <p><strong>1-888-442-2642<\/strong> \u00b7 Free Consultation in Spanish \u00b7 No Fee Unless We Win<\/p> <\/div> <p style=\"margin-top:28px;font-size:14px;color:#666;\"> Related pages: <a href=\"\/en\/wage-and-hour-attorney-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Wage and Hour<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/minimum-wage-attorney-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Minimum Wage<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/workplace-retaliation-attorney-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Workplace Retaliation<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/wrongful-termination-lawyer-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Wrongful Termination<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/employment-discrimination-lawyer-in-san-francisco-ca\/\">Workplace Discrimination<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Employment Rights in San Francisco<\/a> <\/p> <h2>Sources and Verification<\/h2> <p>Every figure and provision on this page can be checked in the official sources below. Minimum wages and the exempt threshold change annually, which is why this page carries a review date.<\/p> <ul class=\"llg-src\"> <li>California Labor Code §§ 98, 201-203, 226, 226.7, 510, 512, 1174, 1182.12, 1194, 2699, 2775, 2802, and 98.6 \u2014 <em>leginfo.legislature.ca.gov<\/em><\/li> <li>AB 5 (2019) and AB 2257 (2020), ABC test codified at §§ 2775-2787<\/li> <li>SB 497 (2023), 90-day retaliation presumption, effective January 1, 2024<\/li> <li>California state minimum wage for 2026: $16.90 per hour \u2014 Department of Industrial Relations, <em>dir.ca.gov<\/em><\/li> <li>2026 exempt salary threshold: $70,304 per year \/ $5,858.67 per month (twice the state minimum wage for a 40-hour week)<\/li> <li>San Francisco Minimum Wage Ordinance: $19.61 per hour as of July 1, 2026 \u2014 <em>sf.gov<\/em><\/li> <li>California Labor Commissioner \/ DLSE, Berman hearings \u2014 <em>dir.ca.gov\/dlse<\/em><\/li> <li>Bus. & Prof. Code § 17208 (four-year UCL period)<\/li> <li><em>Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services<\/em> (2022) 13 Cal.5th 93<\/li> <li><em>Troester v. Starbucks Corp.<\/em> (2018) 5 Cal.4th 829<\/li> <\/ul> <p class=\"llg-rev\">Last reviewed: October 2026. The minimum wage and exempt threshold figures are current for 2026 and change annually. This page provides general information about California law and is not legal advice for your specific situation.<\/p> <\/main> <aside class=\"llg-sidebar\"> <div class=\"llg-widget\"> <div class=\"llg-widget-title\">Services<\/div> <ul class=\"llg-menu-list\"> <li class=\"llg-menu-group\"> <details> <summary>Workplace Discrimination <span class=\"llg-menu-arrow\">\u25bc<\/span><\/summary> <ul class=\"llg-submenu\"> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-discrimination-lawyer-in-san-francisco-ca\/\">Workplace Discrimination<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/san-francisco-equal-pay-discrimination-lawyer-are-you-being-paid-less-than-your-coworkers\/\">Equal Pay Discrimination<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/gender-discrimination-lawyer-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Gender Discrimination<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/age-discrimination-lawyer-in-san-francisco-california\/\">Age Discrimination<\/a><\/li> <li><a 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href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-watsonville-california\/\">Watsonville<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"\/en\/employment-law-attorneys-in-santa-cruz-california\/\">Santa Cruz County<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/details> <\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> <div class=\"llg-contact-widget\"> <div class=\"llg-contact-title\">Contact Us<\/div> <div class=\"llg-contact-body\"> <p>Free consultation in Spanish or English.<br>No obligation. 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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body>\n<\/html>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wage Theft Lawyer San Francisco | Unpaid Overtime | Liberation Law Group [{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:[“LegalService”,”LocalBusiness”],”name”:”Liberation Law Group, P.C.”,”alternateName”:”Employment Attorneys for Workers”,”description”:”Wage theft and unpaid overtime attorneys in San Francisco. Arlo Uriarte recovers stolen wages for workers in restaurants, cleaning, construction, hotels, and all Bay Area industries. Free consultation in Spanish and English.”,”url”:”https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/wage-theft-lawyer-in-san-francisco-california\/”,”telephone”:”+18884422642″,”priceRange”:”Free Consultation \u2014 No Fee Unless […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4313,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4312","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/liberationlawgroup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}