Orange County unpaid overtime
Orange County Unpaid Overtime Lawyer
Hospitality, healthcare, retail and logistics run long shifts across Orange County. When the overtime does not appear on the pay stub, there is usually a reason worth finding.
This page covers unpaid overtime for Orange County employees. For the statewide rules see California wage and hour, and for other Orange County claims see the Orange County hub.
California Overtime in One Table
| Rule | What is owed |
|---|---|
| Daily overtime | 1.5x after 8 hours in a day |
| Double time | 2x after 12 hours in a day |
| Seventh consecutive day | 1.5x for the first 8 hours, 2x after |
| Regular rate | Includes nondiscretionary bonuses and shift differentials |
| Exempt salary floor, 2026 | $70,304 per year. Salaried below this means overtime is owed. |
Figures update January 1 and July 1.
The Orange County Shifts Where Overtime Goes Missing
Hotel and resort work with split shifts and on-call turndowns. Hospital and clinic shifts that run past twelve hours. Warehouse and distribution work near the ports and the freeway corridors. Retail closing shifts that start before the clock does.
The failure is rarely dramatic. It is a rounding rule, an automatic meal deduction, or a manager who asks for ten minutes of setup before the shift officially begins.
Salaried Does Not Settle It
A salary above $70,304 in 2026 clears the floor but does not end the question. The duties test still has to be satisfied, and an assistant manager who spends most of the shift doing the same work as the team they nominally supervise frequently does not satisfy it.
Where an Orange County Overtime Claim Goes
The Labor Commissioner district office covering Orange County is at 2 MacArthur Place, Suite 800, Santa Ana, on (714) 558-4910. A lawsuit is filed at Orange County Superior Court, Central Justice Center in Santa Ana, with class and PAGA matters at the Civil Complex Center.
Find Out Where You Stand
Three questions and a phone number. An attorney reads every one, and you hear back within one business day.
Orange County Unpaid Overtime FAQ
My hotel pays a day rate for banquet shifts.
A day rate still has to satisfy daily overtime past eight hours and double time past twelve.
I am an assistant manager. Does that make me exempt?
Only if what you actually do satisfies the duties test. The title on its own decides nothing.
My employer says overtime must be pre-approved.
An approval policy does not erase the obligation to pay for hours the employer knows were worked.
How Far Back Can I Go?
Three years, and four where an unfair competition claim applies.
Employment Law Resources
- Labor Code section 510, daily overtime and double time: leginfo
- Labor Code section 515, exemptions and the salary test: leginfo
- California Labor Commissioner, overtime and wage claims: dir.ca.gov
- Orange County Superior Court, civil filing and locations: occourts.org
Tell Us What Happened
One business day for a response. You pay nothing unless we win.