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California Labor Department – Wage Theft Claims and Judgments – 1st Quarter 2023
The California Department of Industrial Relations maintains a database of wage theft claims presented to the office by employees, and Wage Claim Judgments against individuals and corporations. We have reviewed this database for judgments from January 1st to March 31st, the first quarter of 2023.
When a wage claim judgment occurs, the information about the defendant, the amount, and their industry is made public. When a wage claim is filed, the Labor Commissioner’s Office investigates the claim and publicly shares information about the name of the organization, the date of the claim, and again information categorizing the company or work by industry and location.
If you believe you are not being paid for all the time you worked, or are not being paid overtime due, or are misclassified as exempt, we invite you to schedule a consultation with an employment lawyer at Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky LLP. Schneider Wallace is a national law firm that represents employees in a wide range of employment law cases, including California employment lawsuits involving the failure to pay wages, overtime pay and commissions. Contact us at 800-689-0024.
California Wage Claim Judgments, January to March 2023
California reported 368 judgments for the 1st quarter of 2023, after excluding duplicates. Duplicates defined as judgments listed with identical judgment names (Ex: J-012345).
The total value of all judgments was $11,961,152. An increase from the prior quarter, October through December 2022, which saw $9.1 million in judgments recorded.
The Department of Industrial Relations records judgments by industry. Full-Service Restaurants had the largest number of judgments as a category at 30. This category also had the largest total value of judgments at $2.8 million.
Food service can be categorized under multiple different industries, and in total is a large source of wage claims and Wage Claim Judgments. Adding together “Full-Service Restaurants”, “Restaurants and Other Eating Places”, “Limited—Service Restaurants” found 62 judgments totaling over $3.2 million.
The largest individual Wage Claim Judgment listed was for $588,353.95, again in the Full Service Restaurants category.
California Wage Claim Judgments 1st Quarter 2023, By Industry
January to March 2023 California Wage Claim Judgments, by Industry, ranked by judgment value (minimum $100,000):
|
2023 Q1 CA Wage Judgments, by Industry |
Sum of Judgment Total |
|
Full-Service Restaurants |
$ 2,579,543 |
|
Retail Trade |
$ 914,540 |
|
Restaurants and Other Eating Places |
$ 516,721 |
|
Port Freight Trucking |
$ 508,332 |
|
Construction |
$ 434,770 |
|
Other Activities Related to Real Estate |
$ 413,649 |
|
Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction |
$ 372,118 |
|
Private Households |
$ 300,408 |
|
Sales Financing |
$ 299,496 |
|
Home Health Care Services |
$ 297,530 |
|
Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming |
$ 273,358 |
|
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities |
$ 248,098 |
|
Residential Building Construction |
$ 202,789 |
|
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities |
$ 202,598 |
|
Custom Computer Programming Services |
$ 199,528 |
|
Apparel Manufacturing |
$ 182,562 |
|
Limited-Service Restaurants |
$ 175,423 |
|
Nail Salons |
$ 135,800 |
|
Motion Picture and Video Industries |
$ 130,251 |
|
Motion Picture and Video Production |
$ 129,795 |
|
Residential Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing |
$ 124,493 |
|
Real Estate Property Managers |
$ 120,931 |
|
Car Washes |
$ 113,670 |
|
Security Guards and Patrol Services |
$ 110,743 |
|
Residential Property Managers |
$ 103,464 |
1st Quarter California Wage Claim Judgments, by Industry, ranked by total judgments (minimum: 5):
|
2023 Q1 CA Wage Judgments, by Industry |
Count of Judgments |
|
Full-Service Restaurants |
30 |
|
Restaurants and Other Eating Places |
25 |
|
Construction |
14 |
|
Motion Picture and Video Production |
13 |
|
Custom Computer Programming Services |
11 |
|
Motion Picture and Video Industries |
9 |
|
Agriculture |
9 |
|
Janitorial Services |
8 |
|
Security Guards and Patrol Services |
8 |
|
Apparel Manufacturing |
7 |
|
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
7 |
|
Limited-Service Restaurants |
7 |
|
Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction |
6 |
|
Caterers |
6 |
|
Cut and Sew Apparel Contractors |
6 |
|
Residential Property Managers |
6 |
|
Residential Building Construction |
5 |
|
Home Health Care Services |
5 |
|
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) |
5 |
|
Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing |
5 |
California Wage Claim Judgments Q1 2023, By Labor Office
January to March California Wage Claim Judgments by Labor Office, ranked by total judgment value:
|
2023 Q1 CA Wage Judgments, by DIR Office |
Sum of Judgment Total |
|
San Jose WCA |
$ 1,802,426 |
|
Los Angeles WCA |
$ 1,680,494 |
|
Long Beach WCA |
$ 1,415,988 |
|
San Francisco WCA |
$ 1,197,619 |
|
Santa Ana WCA |
$ 943,834 |
|
San Bernardino WCA |
$ 884,815 |
|
Van Nuys BOFE |
$ 587,386 |
|
Los Angeles JEU |
$ 508,332 |
|
Sacramento WCA |
$ 444,243 |
|
Long Beach BOFE |
$ 421,983 |
|
Sacramento BOFE |
$ 374,444 |
|
Fresno WCA |
$ 367,874 |
|
Fresno BOFE |
$ 272,342 |
|
Santa Ana BOFE |
$ 241,079 |
|
Stockton WCA |
$ 189,481 |
|
Los Angeles GARMENT |
$ 160,142 |
|
San Francisco BOFE |
$ 119,464 |
|
Los Angeles BOFE |
$ 57,842 |
|
Santa Rosa WCA |
$ 51,230 |
|
Bakersfield BOFE |
$ 42,786 |
|
San Diego BOFE |
$ 37,500 |
|
Santa Barbara BOFE |
$ 37,104 |
|
Santa Barbara WCA |
$ 36,569 |
|
Oakland WCA |
$ 31,228 |
|
Van Nuys WCA |
$ 28,286 |
|
San Jose BOFE |
$ 26,660 |
|
Grand Total |
$ 11,961,152 |
Q1 2023 California Wage Claim Judgments, ranked by number of judgments:
|
2023 Q1 CA Wage Judgments, by DIR Office |
Count of Judgments |
|
Los Angeles WCA |
109 |
|
San Francisco WCA |
61 |
|
Long Beach WCA |
39 |
|
Santa Ana WCA |
31 |
|
Sacramento WCA |
22 |
|
San Bernardino WCA |
17 |
|
Fresno WCA |
16 |
|
Sacramento BOFE |
8 |
|
Van Nuys BOFE |
7 |
|
Stockton WCA |
7 |
|
Los Angeles GARMENT |
7 |
|
Los Angeles BOFE |
6 |
|
Santa Ana BOFE |
5 |
|
Santa Rosa WCA |
5 |
|
San Jose WCA |
5 |
|
Long Beach BOFE |
4 |
|
Fresno BOFE |
3 |
|
San Francisco BOFE |
2 |
|
San Jose BOFE |
2 |
|
Los Angeles JEU |
2 |
|
Bakersfield BOFE |
2 |
|
Van Nuys WCA |
2 |
|
Oakland WCA |
2 |
|
Santa Barbara WCA |
2 |
|
San Diego BOFE |
1 |
|
Santa Barbara BOFE |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
368 |
Most judgments come from Wage Claim Adjudication (WCA) offices. WCA offices investigate claims by workers, whether that claim be missed overtime, vacation pay, or wages.
The Bureau of Field Enforcement (BOFE) such as the Los Angeles BOFE office, is responsible for enforcement of laws covering worker’s compensation insurance, cash payments for work, child labor and unlicensed contractors.
Los Angeles Garment office focuses on the large local garment industry, which has a long history of pay rule violations. The U.S. Department of Labor recently released the results of their own investigation of the garment industry in Southern California, which resulted in $893,000 in back pay for garment workers.
California Wage Claim Judgments Q1 2023, By Courthouse
January to March 2023 California Wage Claim Judgments, by Courthouse, sorted by total judgment value:
|
2023 Q1 CA Wage Judgments, by Court |
Sum of Judgment Total |
|
California Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, Stanley Mosk Courthouse |
$ 3,731,512 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Santa Clara, Downtown Superior Court |
$ 1,812,862 |
|
California Superior Court, County of San Francisco |
$ 1,304,069 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Orange, Central Justice Center |
$ 1,154,991 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, George Deukmejian Courthouse |
$ 1,099,728 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Sacramento, Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse |
$ 586,537 |
|
California Superior Court, County of San Bernardino, San Bernardino Justice Cntr |
$ 519,434 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Fresno – B.F. Sisk Courthouse |
$ 497,329 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Riverside, Riverside Historic Courthouse |
$ 234,183 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Placer, Placer County Superior Court |
$ 164,961 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Madera, Main Courthouse |
$ 142,887 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, Norwalk Courthouse |
$ 118,000 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Merced, Old Merced Courthouse |
$ 109,895 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Stanislaus, City Towers Courthouse |
$ 81,086 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Ventura, Hall of Justice |
$ 73,673 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Alameda, Rene C. Davidson Courthouse |
$ 59,689 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Kern, Metro Division |
$ 42,786 |
|
California Superior Court, County of San Diego, Hall of Justice |
$ 37,500 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Sonoma, Hall of Justice |
$ 30,826 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Riverside, Southwest Justice Center |
$ 26,727 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Riverside, Moreno Valley Courthouse |
$ 21,645 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Napa, Historic Courthouse |
$ 20,404 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Riverside, Corona Courthouse |
$ 19,721 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Alameda, Hayward Hall of Justice |
$ 18,487 |
|
California Superior Court, County of San Mateo, Southern Branch: Hall of Justice |
$ 16,225 |
|
San Francisco County Recorder |
$ 13,014 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Contra Costa, Wakefield Taylor Courthouse |
$ 12,741 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Yuba, Yuba County Courthouse |
$ 6,000 |
Q1 2023 California Wage Claim Judgments, by Courthouse, sorted by number of judgments:
|
2023 Q1 CA Wage Judgments, by Court |
Count of Judgments |
|
California Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, Stanley Mosk Courthouse |
174 |
|
California Superior Court, County of San Francisco |
62 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Orange, Central Justice Center |
34 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Fresno – B.F. Sisk Courthouse |
18 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Sacramento, Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse |
15 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Placer, Placer County Superior Court |
11 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, George Deukmejian Courthouse |
8 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Santa Clara, Downtown Superior Court |
6 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Stanislaus, City Towers Courthouse |
6 |
|
California Superior Court, County of San Bernardino, San Bernardino Justice Cntr |
6 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Sonoma, Hall of Justice |
4 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Ventura, Hall of Justice |
3 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Kern, Metro Division |
2 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Alameda, Rene C. Davidson Courthouse |
2 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Riverside, Moreno Valley Courthouse |
2 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Merced, Old Merced Courthouse |
2 |
|
San Francisco County Recorder |
1 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Riverside, Southwest Justice Center |
1 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Riverside, Riverside Historic Courthouse |
1 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Madera, Main Courthouse |
1 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, Norwalk Courthouse |
1 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Napa, Historic Courthouse |
1 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Contra Costa, Wakefield Taylor Courthouse |
1 |
|
California Superior Court, County of San Diego, Hall of Justice |
1 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Yuba, Yuba County Courthouse |
1 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Alameda, Hayward Hall of Justice |
1 |
|
California Superior Court, County of San Mateo, Southern Branch: Hall of Justice |
1 |
|
California Superior Court, County of Riverside, Corona Courthouse |
1 |
California Wage Claims, Q1 2023
The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) reported 7,980 new wage claims cases in Q1 of 2023.Wage claim cases are totaled here using the docket open date or date filed. The DIR handles thousands of claims a month. Employees can report wage claims such as lost wages, unpaid wages, unpaid overtime or commissions to the DIR, or can contact an attorney to assist with a claim. Schneider Wallace specializes in representing large numbers of workers with wage claims, through class actions and private attorney general act (PAGA) claims, and is proud to have represented workers in some of the largest class actions in the state.
Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky LLP is a premier California wage attorney law firm, ready to review your claim for free and offer assistance if you were underpaid. Schneider Wallace has recovered millions for California workers and maintains a large practice of employment lawyers investigating wage theft. Contact us at 1-800-689-0024.
Q1 2023 California DIR Wage Claims, by opens January through March, by Industry (50 or more individual claims):
|
CA Wage Claims to DIR, Q1 2023, by Industry |
Count of Claims |
|
Construction |
380 |
|
Restaurants and Other Eating Places |
370 |
|
Security Guards and Patrol Services |
313 |
|
Full-Service Restaurants |
217 |
|
Couriers and Express Delivery Services |
163 |
|
Ambulatory Health Care Services |
151 |
|
Hospitals |
150 |
|
Employment Placement Agencies |
126 |
|
Temporary Help Services |
121 |
|
Truck Transportation |
113 |
|
Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) |
111 |
|
Home Health Care Services |
111 |
|
Educational Services |
111 |
|
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services |
102 |
|
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
98 |
|
Food Manufacturing |
96 |
|
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities |
86 |
|
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation |
86 |
|
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities |
82 |
|
Agriculture |
80 |
|
Limited-Service Restaurants |
78 |
|
Warehousing and Storage |
76 |
|
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
76 |
|
Janitorial Services |
76 |
|
Public Administration |
68 |
|
Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels |
64 |
|
All Other Miscellaneous Retailers |
62 |
|
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores |
61 |
|
Supermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores |
59 |
|
Traveler Accommodation |
51 |
|
Elementary and Secondary Schools |
50 |
Construction lead with 380 wage claim cases opened. “Restaurants and Other Eating Places” was second in claims by industry, with 370 claims. If “Full Service Restaurants” and “Limited-Service Restaurants” are also included as similar, food service workers under these three industry categories filed a total of 665 claims for unpaid wages in Q1.
Other industries with frequent wage claims appear on the list including construction, security guards, health care services, hospital staff including nurses, and temp or placement agencies.
Common issues related to under payment of wages include working before or after a shift off the clock, sometimes due to requirements such as bag checks, working during breaks without receiving penalty bonus pay, working during an unpaid lunch without receiving a paid lunch and bonus pay, and misclassification of workers as either temporary without benefits or exempt from overtime.
All wage claims and judgments seen on this page were a result of a search on May 16th, 2023.
Failure to Pay Wages, Overtime and Commissions
California state law and federal law regulate payment of minimum wage, overtime and commissions.
Right to pay can be complicated by unique employment relationships, such as independent contractors, tipped workers or commission-based positions. In addition, matters concerning deductions, holidays, meal periods and rest periods often arise.
Legal Consult with Experienced Employment Lawyers
Consult with Schneider Wallace to resolve wage claims and employment disputes. We invite you to schedule a consultation with an employment law attorney in our Bay Area and Los Angeles, California offices.
Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky LLP
300 S. Grand Ave., Suite 2700
Los Angeles, California 90071
Tel: 415-421-7100
Toll Free: 800-689-0024
Fax: 415-421-7105
Email: info@schneiderwallace.com