Wage Theft Calculator

Calculate unpaid wages, overtime owed, and potential damages you can recover under federal and state law.

Type of Wage Violation

What You Can Recover Under the FLSA

The Fair Labor Standards Act provides powerful remedies for wage theft. You can recover the full amount of unpaid wages plus an equal amount in liquidated damages, effectively doubling your recovery. Attorney fees are also recoverable, which means most employment attorneys will take wage theft cases on contingency with no upfront cost to you. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division can investigate and collect back wages on your behalf for free.

California Has the Strongest Wage Theft Laws

California employees have additional protections under the California Labor Code. Waiting time penalties for final paycheck violations can add 30 days of wages to your claim. The lookback period is 4 years for state claims. California's Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) also allows employees to sue on behalf of all affected coworkers, significantly increasing the potential recovery in class action wage cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wage theft includes: unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, unpaid off-the-clock work, illegal pay deductions, tip theft, misclassification as exempt or as an independent contractor, and failing to pay for all hours worked including training and prep time.

⚠️ Important Disclaimer

USLegalCalc.com provides estimates and document templates for informational purposes only. Results are not legal advice and vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney before making legal decisions.