Legal Question in Employment Law in California

Unpaid Wages

My boyfriend quit a job as a deckhand on a boat. It has been 7 days since he left and his ex-boss is refusing to pay him for work done in the last month. What legal recourse does he have? Other lawyers he has talked to say that the amount owed to him (roughly $1600)is not high enough to justify their taking the case for him. The labor board says that it will be at least 61 days before anyone even looks at his claim if he files anything through them. Rent is due in 2 days...help!


Asked on 9/29/03, 6:17 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Robert F. Cohen Law Office of Robert F. Cohen

Re: Unpaid Wages

Landlords often are understanding if you're upfront with them and you are not habitually late with the rent. Talk to your landlord immediately and tell them what happened. Also, your boyfriend is entitled to file a small claims lawsuit -- which, unfortunately, will take time. The labor board could award statutory penalties for failure to pay immediately. There's no quick solution, other than to borrow money to tide you over and talk to the landlord. Good luck!

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Answered on 9/30/03, 9:00 pm


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