How To Claim Unpaid Wages In California
Upon getting hired at a firm, nobody can tell how sometimes things turn out and it happens to the best of us that you may find yourself dealing with issues of unpaid wages along the way. Claiming your unpaid wages should be done despite that fact that it can turn from bad to worse really fast. After all, it is money owed to you for work you have done. See below some tips for claiming unpaid wages in California.
Begin by carrying out research. Find out more on how to deal with this from people close to you that have had to do this before. See what more you can learn from the internet in this regard. Read more from the online forums, the blogs, and even the social media platforms. Find out more from the reviews and feedback from people that have had to do this before.
You shall then need to contact your employer asking for your unpaid wages. Do so in written form via a letter or an email. Write a very articulate letter with all the information that you have and attach proof if you have any. Copy the letter to the leader of your trade union as well as that will have you covered on all sides. Be sure to copy the letter to the head to the trade union you belong to so as to keep them informed, you might need their input later on. Put a timeline on the letter when you do write it so that you can follow up once the time has elapsed.
After you have contacted your employer and talked about the pending payment and he does nothing, you can now go ahead and involve a third party. You have an option of contacting a local trade union or find a conciliation service that specializes in these kinds of situations. As you go meet them, it is very important that you have all the information concerning your time working for the company, for example, pay slips and an appointment letter.
When it hits three months before you get your wages paid, you will not be allowed to take your case to the employment tribunal, you need to do this earlier. The best time to take it is very early so that it doesn’t reach the deadline and you are closed out. You can still involve the employment tribunal while the third party is still trying to get you a solution but it seems to bear no fruit. Most times though, a settlement is reached even before the final hearing and the cases are, therefore, usually withdrawn.
At the employment tribunal, you will need someone who will represent your case. If you have a friend who has knowledge of employment law, he can represent you or you could find a lawyer who is good at this. In some situations where you cannot prove your relationship with your employer, there would have to be a hearing to get that sorted first before you can proceed to the main hearing.