Private Attorneys General (PAGA) in Sacramento

Because the federal government has several requirements in place when it comes to the Private Attorneys General Act, a single wrong mistake could lead to the entire claim being denied. The Private Attorneys General Act, also known as the PAGA, allows employees to file a lawsuit against their employer for failing to take proper labor code measures. The Private Attorneys General Act is a way for employees to come forward and speak about any unfair workplace practices and environments that they have experienced.

Who can file a lawsuit?

Employees who have been treated to unjust work environments could file a lawsuit on their own individual behalf, or on behalf of other employees.

Why hire our Sacramento Private Attorneys General Act lawyers?

Our attorneys have decades of experience in labor and employment law. Not only are we experienced in federal labor laws, but also California and Sacramento-specific labor laws. Each county in the United States has specific laws in place when it comes to wage and hour disputes, and employee classification.

You can trust our attorneys to hold your employer accountable for failing to take the necessary steps. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with our attorneys. Our attorneys make sure that employers are held responsible. No person should have to suffer financial difficulties because of their employer.

What are examples that could be reported to the Private Attorneys General Act?

All violations of the labor code are reportable, and employees could file a claim. Below are examples of some circumstances where an employee could file a claim.

• When an employer fails to pay the minimum wage: all employers in California, and this goes for Sacramento, California, must pay the minimum wage that is set by the state. Starting January 1, 2023, employees must be paid $15.50 an hour as minimum wage. If an employer feels to pay the applicable minimum wage, then the employer could be held responsible.
• When an employer fails to pay overtime hours: when employees work overtime, they should receive pay of one and a half times. Sometimes, employers try to get around this by only paying the standard hourly amount even when the employee works overtime. This is considered a violation of the labor code that is reportable.
• When an employer does not classify an employee correctly: there are two different types of employees, there are employees and there are independent contractors. Independent contractors are a type of employee that makes their own hours and uses their own tools when it comes to working. They are essentially their own business entity. Independent contractors must have to file their own taxes. But, employees are considered to work under the employer. They are considered a part of the employer, and not their own business entity. Sometimes, businesses misclassified the type of employees just so they could pay less with their taxes. This is considered a violation of the labor code.
• When an employer fails to allow employees to take breaks: employees must take meal breaks for 30 minutes for every 5 hours that they work. This is established by law, and if the employer fails to allow the employee to take a break, the employee could file a claim.
• When the employer promotes a discriminatory workplace environment: employees should not have to go to work in an unsafe environment. All employees must feel comfortable when going to work. In the event that an employee is discriminated against or harassed at work, whether by their supervisor, manager, or from other coworkers, they could file a Private Attorneys General Act claim. There are several different types of discrimination, which could include racial discrimination, gender discrimination, disability discrimination, age discrimination, religious orientation discrimination, etc.  There are also several types of harassment, including sexual harassment and physical assault. 

What if my employer retaliates against me for speaking up?

All employees must feel comfortable when filing a PAGA claim. This means that employees are protected from any retaliatory actions by their employer. Examples of retaliation include:

• Reducing the employee’s hours
• Firing the employee
• Harassing the employee
• Giving the employee poor performance reviews
• Leaving the employee out of meetings
• Failing to acknowledge the employee
• Failing to pay the employee their proper wages
• Failing to approve the employee’s requested vacation time

These are just some examples above of steps that an employer could take in response to the employee speaking up and making a PAGA claim. For more information, contact our top-rated employment attorneys.

How much does a Sacramento employment attorney cost?

Our Sacramento attorneys have recovered millions in compensation for our employment and labor clients. A great advantage to our attorneys is that they work through a contingency. The contingency is winning compensation. This means that our attorneys will only recover fees from our clients when we receive compensation for our clients. Give us a call today to discuss how you could recover compensation by holding your employer responsible. When it comes to Private Attorneys General Act claims, you should not be retaliated against. 

What are fines from a Private Attorneys General Act claim?

A Private Attorneys General Act claim is different because it results in penalties that your employer may have to pay. For example, this is determined by the number of days that your employer violated the labor code, multiplied by how many employees were affected. Usually, these types of claims do not compensate the employees, but rather, hold the employer responsible by finding them. 

Instead, employees could recover compensation by filing a lawsuit against their employer. Filing a Private Attorneys General Act claim is a way for employees to hold their employers responsible and report their employers. Usually, these types of claims are filed by multiple employees who have been wronged. 

Sacramento Private Attorneys General Act Lawyers

Our California labor and employment attorneys make sure that our clients get to experience a safe workplace environment. All employees have the right to work in a safe environment,  free from any threats to safety. Fortunately, there are many different ways an employee could speak up about injustice or unfair business practices at work.

If an employer fails to follow California labor laws or federal labor laws, an employee can speak up and report the incident to make sure that their employer follows through with the laws. This may seem a bit complex at first, and not many employees even know that they could report these types of circumstances. 

Contact us today to see how you could file a Private Attorneys General Act claim. If you think that your employer has failed to follow laws, but are not specifically sure on what laws, give us a call to set up a one-on-one case evaluation. Employment laws could get a bit complex, and that is why we are here to help.

[/blocks_mob_gray]