Two agencies I worked for are refusing to pay me, and government office telling them it's okay.

[sdaker]

I worked for two different employment agencies for the election in Los Angeles. Both agencies were hiring on behalf of the government, and the county office is telling them not to pay me for neither overtime nor for my regular wages. The county office threatened to pursue legal action against me if I continued to call them and inquire about this issue. I feel helpless, like I have no rights as an employee. What can I do? I've been told to file a complaint with the Los Angeles County Wage Commissioner's Office, but what if the wage commissioner takes the side of the County Office and ignores my plight.

 

[cbg]

So, what if you don't file a complaint and nothing happens because you didn't take any action?

 

[NeilTheCop]

Calling a county office and asking them questions is not grounds for legal action, unless your calls are threatening or obscene.
File a complaint with the wage commission as advised.

 

[Taxing Matters]

I've been told to file a complaint with the Los Angeles County Wage Commissioner's Office, but what if the wage commissioner takes the side of the County Office and ignores my plight?

Well, if you don't file, you get nothing. If you do file, perhaps you will get paid. If they say no, you're no worse off than before, right? So what do you have to lose by doing it?

You can also try a complaint with the state Department of Industrial Relations Labor Commissioner's office. You'll have a right to a hearing on the matter if you and the employer cannot agree to a resolution in mediation.

 

[sdaker]

Calling a county office and asking them questions is not grounds for legal action, unless your calls are threatening or obscene.
File a complaint with the wage commission as advised.

I agree, but the assistant director that I was contacting told me off when I called her last, and I didn't make any obscene or threatening remarks. I don't know how I can contact the LA government office that used these two agencies to hire me, since I'm being told that they will file a restraining order against me if I call again.

 

[sdaker]

Well, if you don't file, you get nothing. If you do file, perhaps you will get paid. If they say no, you're no worse off than before, right? So what do you have to lose by doing it?

You can also try a complaint with the state Department of Industrial Relations Labor Commissioner's office. You'll have a right to a hearing on the matter if you and the employer cannot agree to a resolution in mediation.

The two agencies are both accusing me of lying about my hours, and the two are both telling me that I couldn't have been appointed to work for both of them at the same time. They're playing games, and so is the LA County government office who used their services to hire people. Also, I've heard that the fact that they are withholding my money may entitle me to late payments. My concern is that the LA commissioner may take their side because they are both LA government affiliates.

 

[sdaker]

So, what if you don't file a complaint and nothing happens because you didn't take any action?

Then those days that I stayed up working for them over/double time will have been for nothing, and they'll get away with not paying me any money.

 

[cbg]

You have a choice.

You can file a wage complaint.

You can not file a wage complaint.

There is no third option.,

If you file it, you might get something. If you don't file it, you definitely won't.

If you file it and you lose, there will be plenty of time to determine the next step then.

Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

 

[sdaker]

You have a choice.

You can file a wage complaint.

You can not file a wage complaint.

There is no third option.,

If you file it, you might get something. If you don't file it, you definitely won't.

If you file it and you lose, there will be plenty of time to determine the next step then.

Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

I will file the complaint, but I need some help. For one thing, one of the agencies needs to disclose to me the hours that I submitted for the time sheet online, because I have no access to it over the internet. I need to see the hours that I submitted so that I can write them in my complaint and have more accurate information. I'm not sure that the agency will give me that information. They may choose not to disclose it. The other agency changed the hours that I submitted over the internet themselves. They went in and changed the hours and resubmitted them for me, without even telling me that they did it. They also added meal periods which I didn't have, and took away my over/double time. I'm afraid the other agency may do the same thing.

 

[Taxing Matters]

My concern is that the LA commissioner may take their side because they are both LA government affiliates.

I can't find a LA county labor commissioner office in my search. But there is a Los Angeles office of the state Labor Commissioner's office, which is the agency I linked. Are you sure that there is a county labor commissioner, or was it the Los Angeles office of the state Labor Commissioner you were referred to? If it was the state office, they certainly have no skin in the game and no reason to favor LA County.

Even if it is LA county office, it is not the agency that hired you so whatever money you get paid isn't coming out of its budget. So it's not necessarily going to take the County's side in this. You won't know until you try. Again, you are no worse off for having tried than you are now.

 

[sdaker]

I can't find a LA county labor commissioner office in my search. But there is a Los Angeles office of the state Labor Commissioner's office, which is the agency I linked. Are you sure that there is a county labor commissioner, or was it the Los Angeles office of the state Labor Commissioner you were referred to? If it was the state office, they certainly have no skin in the game and no reason to favor LA County.

Even if it is LA county office, it is not the agency that hired you so whatever money you get paid isn't coming out of its budget. So it's not necessarily going to take the County's side in this. You won't know until you try. Again, you are no worse off for having tried than you are now.

Of course, I will try. Let me give you the exact office I will be filing my complaint with. One of the agencies is located in Huntington Beach, CA the other in Irvine, CA. Both election jobs were located in Downey, CA. When I called the 800 number for the labor commissioner, I was told to file with the Long Beach office,
Long Beach
300 Oceangate,
Suite 302
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 590-5048
[email protected]

Here is the form and the instructions
https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/Wage_Claim_forms.html

 

[sdaker]

Thank you to everyone who replied. I appreciate all of your help, as this is my first time posting on this website.

 

[Taxing Matters]

Of course, I will try. Let me give you the exact office I will be filing my complaint with. One of the agencies is located in Huntington Beach, CA the other in Irvine, CA. Both election jobs were located in Downey, CA. When I called the 800 number for the labor commissioner, I was told to file with the Long Beach office,
Long Beach
300 Oceangate,
Suite 302
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 590-5048
[email protected]

Here is the form and the instructions
https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/Wage_Claim_forms.html

And that is the STATE agency. It is not part of the county — its part of the California state government.

 

[adjusterjack]

I will file the complaint, but I need some help. For one thing, one of the agencies needs to disclose to me the hours that I submitted for the time sheet online, because I have no access to it over the internet. I need to see the hours that I submitted so that I can write them in my complaint and have more accurate information. I'm not sure that the agency will give me that information. They may choose not to disclose it. The other agency changed the hours that I submitted over the internet themselves. They went in and changed the hours and resubmitted them for me, without even telling me that they did it. They also added meal periods which I didn't have, and took away my over/double time. I'm afraid the other agency may do the same thing.

You kind of shot yourself in the foot there. I guess it never occurred to you to take a screen shot of what you were doing online.

Anyway, are these agencies government entities or are they private employment agencies hired by the government. Either way you can file a lawsuit against them. It'll just be more difficult if they are government entities.

 

[NeilTheCop]

Don't know if you have seen this.
https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/PubsTemp/DLSE Brochures/Recover your upaid wages with the Labor Commissioner's Office/Brochure-WCA_WEB-English.pdf