Pay problems
Pay that doesn’t match the work
A short check isn’t always a mistake. Often it’s a pattern, and a pattern is something I can count.
Kitchens, hotels, bars, warehouses and clinics all run on hours, tips and tight schedules, which is exactly where money goes missing: overtime that was never paid, a tip pool that skims, a final check that never came, a “salary” that quietly covers sixty hours.
Most of these claims come down to arithmetic. If you can show roughly when you worked and what you were paid, we can usually work out what’s missing and start from there.
What I look at first
How you were paid (hourly, salary, cash, tips), how many hours you really worked, and what the stub says. A gap between the last two is usually where the claim is.
Where the money goes missing
Overtime that was never paid
Hours past forty paid at the regular rate, paid in cash, or left off the stub.
Tips that didn’t reach you
A pool shared with managers, or a house fee taken out of what customers left you.
Work before and after the clock
Setup before clock-in, cleanup after close, meetings and deliveries.
A final check that never came
Your last wages, an unpaid bonus or commission, or pay your employer’s own policy promises.
Keep a plain record
You don’t need a perfect file. You need enough to rebuild your weeks.
Most people have more than they think: it’s in their phone, their glove box and a drawer. Start collecting it now, even if you aren’t sure you’ll ever call.
Useful to bring
Pay stubs, or photos of them
Schedules, texts and group-chat messages about shifts
A calendar or notes app showing the days you worked
The names of coworkers who saw it
Questions about pay
Can I still ask for pay from a job I left?
Often, yes, but deadlines apply and they differ by claim, so don’t wait. Call me with the dates you worked and I’ll tell you which clock you’re on.
I was paid in cash. Does that matter?
Not to your right to be paid correctly. Cash only means your own notes matter more, so start writing down the days and hours.
Will my boss find out I called?
Talking to a lawyer is confidential. Punishing someone for asking about their pay is itself against the law, and it’s something I’d want to hear about right away.
Add up what you think you’re owed
Bring your best guess and whatever records you have. I’ll tell you honestly what the number looks like.