Employment Law
For unpaid wages alone, a Labor Commissioner wage claim is often the simpler path: it is designed to be informal, a hearing officer decides it, and the office helps workers file. A lawsuit in Superior Court usually fits better when the case involves more than wages, such as discrimination, wrongful termination or a group of workers, or when stopping the waiting time penalty clock matters.
Last updated October 4, 2026.
Both routes can recover unpaid wages and many penalties, and both have real advantages. The right choice depends on what you are owed, what else happened at work, and how the employer is likely to respond. For the bigger picture, see our employment law page.
The Labor Commissioner's Office (the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement) accepts wage claims online, by email, by mail or in person, and says California's labor laws protect all workers regardless of immigration status. The offices closest to Glendale are in Los Angeles and Van Nuys.
The Labor Commissioner can award wages, penalties and liquidated damages for unpaid minimum wage (Labor Code section 98(a)). Before filing, gather the employer's correct name and address, your pay stubs and a record of the hours you worked; the Labor Commissioner suggests writing down your start and end times and your breaks each day. Our page on what happens at the Labor Commissioner's office after a Glendale-area worker files a wage claim walks through the conference, the hearing and collection in more detail. If you no longer have your pay stubs, our page on getting your personnel file and payroll records explains how to request them.
A lawsuit starts with a complaint filed in the Superior Court, and the court decides the case unless it settles. In Los Angeles County, the court's filing location form (LASC CIV 109) lets employment complaints be filed in the Central District downtown or in the district where the claim arose, and class actions must be filed at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Our guide to what to expect at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse describes the early months of a civil case. A lawsuit can take in claims a wage claim cannot, and the attorney's fee rules in the Labor Code apply to it, as explained below.
An appeal goes to the Superior Court, which hears the case from the beginning (de novo) (Labor Code section 98.2(a)). The evidence from the Labor Commissioner hearing is not the basis for the court's decision. Several rules protect the worker in that appeal:
In Los Angeles County, a Labor Commissioner appeal is filed based on the location of the Labor Commissioner office, according to the Superior Court's filing location form (LASC CIV 109).
If you signed an arbitration agreement when you were hired, it may affect where a court case can go. You have a right to a copy of anything you signed to get or keep the job (Labor Code section 432).
| Labor Commissioner wage claim | Lawsuit in Superior Court | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | A hearing officer, after a conference | The Superior Court |
| What it covers | Wages, penalties, liquidated damages | Wage claims plus other claims, such as wrongful termination or, after a right-to-sue notice, discrimination |
| Settlement | A deputy labor commissioner leads a conference; the office enforces only settlements signed on its own forms | Negotiated between the parties |
| Waiting time penalty | Keeps running after filing | Stops running when the suit is filed |
| Attorney's fees | Fees shift on an appeal that fails (Lab. Code 98.2(c)) | Employee recovers fees on minimum wage and overtime (Lab. Code 1194); employer only for a bad faith suit (Lab. Code 218.5) |
| If someone appeals | New trial in Superior Court; the appeal is due 10 days after service (15 days from mailing, per the Labor Commissioner) | Appeal to a higher court |
| Collecting | The Labor Commissioner's Judgment Enforcement Unit can enforce the judgment | Enforced like any civil judgment |
| Deadline | Same limits as the wages (generally 3 years) | Same limits as the wages (generally 3 years) |
It is unlawful to fire or punish a worker for filing or threatening to file a wage claim. The Labor Commissioner says you can file a retaliation complaint with its office or a lawsuit. A retaliation complaint must be filed within one year of the violation (Labor Code section 98.7). Our overview of wage violation penalties lists the amounts that may be owed on top of the wages.
No single route is right for everyone. These are the facts that most often tip the choice.
If the claim is for minimum wage or overtime, Labor Code section 1194 gives an employee who wins in court reasonable attorney's fees and costs. For other unpaid wages, section 218.5 awards fees to the prevailing party when requested at the start, but an employer collects only if the employee sued in bad faith. Our page on who pays the lawyer in a California employment case explains how these rules affect the decision.
The Labor Commissioner says it has no jurisdiction over independent contractors, but a worker who believes they were misclassified should still file a wage claim, and the office may hold a hearing to decide whether the worker was misclassified. Our page on whether you are an employee or an independent contractor explains the test.
A wage claim covers wages and wage penalties. If you were also harassed, treated differently because of a protected trait, or fired for a reason the law forbids, those claims follow their own path; our guide to filing a Civil Rights Department complaint explains the first step for discrimination claims.
The Labor Commissioner warns that an employer may file for bankruptcy or close before paying, which is one reason it suggests weighing a settlement offer. After an award becomes final, it can record a lien on the employer's real property (Labor Code section 98.2(g)), and its Judgment Enforcement Unit enforces judgments with the same tools as any civil judgment.
The Labor Commissioner says a supervisor or manager who violates workers' labor rights can sometimes be held responsible in addition to the employer, and it asks claimants to list each employer or supervisor by name. Section 98(a) also lets it hear claims for civil penalties under Labor Code section 558 against a person acting on the employer's behalf.
For example, imagine a hypothetical line cook in Glendale who quits after eight months and believes he is owed about 200 hours of unpaid overtime. His final check arrived on time, he has no other complaints about how he was treated, and he kept a notebook of his hours.
His case is mostly arithmetic, so a wage claim at the Van Nuys or Los Angeles office may fit: he can file without a lawyer, the conference may produce a settlement, and a hearing officer decides the rest. If the employer appeals an award, it must post a bond, and it pays his fees if it loses the appeal. Suppose instead that the same cook had been fired after complaining and his final pay was still missing. Then a lawsuit may deserve a closer look, because it would stop the waiting time penalty, add the retaliation claim, and bring section 1194's fee rule into play. Neither route promises a result; the facts decide which one fits.
No. The process is designed to be informal, and the Labor Commissioner helps workers file. On an appeal you may represent yourself or hire an attorney, and a low-income worker can ask the Labor Commissioner for representation when the employer appeals.
Yes. The Labor Commissioner says California's labor laws protect all workers regardless of immigration status, and its wage claim process is open to them.
The Labor Commissioner says the hearing officer will decide the claim on the evidence and testimony you present. If you are the one who does not attend, the claim is dismissed.
Once the award is entered as a judgment, the Labor Commissioner's Judgment Enforcement Unit can enforce it like any other civil judgment, and the office can record a lien on the employer's real property (section 98.2(g)).
That depends on how far the claim has gone and what else you want to bring, so get advice before the hearing. If an award is issued, either side can still take the case to Superior Court through the appeal in section 98.2.
We look at what is owed, what else happened at work and how the employer has responded, and then explain which route fits. We can prepare and present a wage claim, or pursue the case in court when that is the better fit. No outcome can be guaranteed, but a clear plan at the start can save time later. Our page on employment claims in Los Angeles County lists the local agencies and courthouses. Call (818) 244-9000 or request a consultation.
Our Glendale team can review what you are owed and explain whether a wage claim or a lawsuit fits your situation better.
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