What do I do if my employer is taking a long time to pay me?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What do I do if my employer is taking a long time to pay me?
I worked at a summer school for 2 months this summer. My paycheck is 20
days late. I keep calling and I always get the same answer of,
Asked on August 29, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
The only thing you can effectively try is contacting the state department of labor and seeing if they can help expedite matters. If they can't or won't, then legally, your only option would be to sue; but while you can sue in small claims court, acting as your own attorney ("pro se") to avoid legal fees, you'll still pay the filing fee (around $50) but worse, the case will take around 6 - 8 weeks to go to trial. If they truly are going to pay you in the next payroll cycle or two, you will get paid before the case comes up, making that $50 or so dollars and the time you spent filing the case a waste. Suing for the money only makes sense if you don't believe them and think they will not pay at all--then you sue for the money.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.