What is the Private Attorney General’s Act?

Termechi Employment Law Pursues PAGA Claims to Help Aggrieved Employees Recover on Behalf of Themselves, Other Employees, and the State of California

When employers violate the California Labor Code, an employee may file a civil lawsuit in accordance with The Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). The PAGA statute authorizes private citizens, in this case aggrieved employees, to act on behalf of the State of California as private attorney generals. In that role, an employee may file a lawsuit against an employer for various types of California Labor Code violations. Labor violations that may lead to a PAGA claim include:

• Meal and rest break violations
• Failure to pay overtime
• Failure to pay final wages
• Failure to pay timely wages
• Failure to pay minimum wages
• Failure to reimburse business expenses
• Failure to provide complete and accurate paystubs
• Misclassifying non-exempt positions as exempt
• Requiring employees to perform off the clock work
• Failure to maintain personnel files
• Other California Labor Code Violations

PAGA allows employees to recover civil penalties for these violations on behalf of themselves, other employees who have been similarly aggrieved, and the State of California. A penalty of $100 is imposed for the first violation, per worker for each pay period. For each subsequent violation, a penalty of $200 per worker is imposed. With large employers and repeat offenders, these penalties can lead to large payouts for aggrieved employees.

Employees Who Have Signed Arbitration Agreements Can Still File PAGA Claims in Court

Many employers require employees to sign arbitration agreements in the event of disputes, which can prevent employees from properly pursuing their claims. However, under PAGA, if an employer has committed Labor Code violations affecting a group of employees, an employee may still file a PAGA claim in court. Many employees wrongfully believe that because they’ve signed an arbitration agreement, they cannot hold their employer fully accountable. However, at Termechi Employment Law , we have extensive experience filing PAGA claims to help aggrieved employees hold businesses accountable for Labor Code violations.

Why Choose Termechi Employment Law ?

• Absolutely no out-of-pocket fees. We strive to make legal representation available to all workers in California by offering it on a contingency fee basis.
• We have successfully litigated numerous multimillion-dollar lawsuits. We have genuine case results.
• The Los Angeles employment attorneys at Termechi Employment Law have years of experience specializing in labor and employment law.
• We are not a “mill” law firm: Unlike what you may find at larger mill firms, you will speak directly with Mr. Termechi, the lawyer in charge of your case.