Legal Aid at Work
Free legal information and advice for low-income California workers about pay, discrimination, leave and retaliation, with help in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese and other languages. Call 415-864-8848 or start online.
Your next step
Call 415-864-8848 if you are not sure which helpline fits. Have your dates, pay records and employer name ready. For filing deadlines, follow the Labor Commissioner, not older factsheets.
Questions to ask
- Does your service cover my workplace issue?
- What information should I have ready?
- Are there deadlines I need to discuss with a professional?
If this one cannot help
Other starting points for the same need:
- California Labor Commissioner wage claims: California’s state office for unpaid wages, overtime and missed breaks. File online, by email, by mail or in person. California labor laws protect workers regardless of immigration status. Most wage claims must be filed within 3 years.
- California EDD: Official unemployment information, job services, and guidance for navigating an existing claim.
- California worker rights regardless of immigration status: The California Department of Industrial Relations answers common questions from workers: labor laws apply equally to all workers regardless of immigration status, and employers may not retaliate by threatening to report a worker to immigration.
What this listing can tell you
Confirm service availability directly. This initiative does not provide legal advice or calculate filing deadlines.
Do Not Lose Hope does not determine eligibility, appointments, or outcomes. A listing does not imply a partnership.
Official source & review
Source page checked: .
Official pages read on 2026-10-21 for service area, contact methods, cost, languages, intake and eligibility. Each field below names its source. Current openings and individual eligibility are not confirmed.
What the official pages say
- Service area
- California workers; helplines and clinics serve low-income California workers only. Stated on the official page, checked October 21, 2026. Source
- How to contact
- 415-864-8848; online Guided Help. Stated on the official page, checked October 21, 2026. Source
- Cost
- Free, confidential information. Stated on the official page, checked October 21, 2026. Source
- Languages
- Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese and many other languages. Stated on the official page, checked October 21, 2026. Source
- How to start
- Call to schedule a Workers’ Rights Clinic appointment or use Guided Help. Stated on the official page, checked October 21, 2026. Source
- Stated limits
- Low-income California workers. Stated on the official page, checked October 21, 2026. Source
One Legal Aid at Work factsheet (updated October 2024) gives 6 months for retaliation complaints. The Labor Commissioner now says generally one year.
Current openings and whether you qualify are not confirmed. Ask the organization.
How we check sourcesGuides on this topic
- Wage ClaimYou worked. You should be paid. If your employer owes you pay, the California Labor Commissioner can help you get it back. You do not need a lawyer, and the office does not ask about your immigration status. Here is what to gather, how to file, and what happens next.
- Final PaycheckYour job ended. Your last paycheck has a deadline, and California law sets it. Fired or laid off? Your pay is due that same day. Quit? It depends on how much notice you gave. Paid late? Your employer may owe you extra. Here is when your money is due and what to do if it does not come.
- Overtime payMost workers in California earn overtime after 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week, whatever their immigration status and however they are paid. Here is how to tell if you are owed it, how to count it, and how to get back what you were not paid.
- Workers' Rights Complete GuideYou have rights at work in California, with or without papers. You have the right to be paid for every hour, to take your breaks, to be safe, and to speak up without being punished. This guide covers all of it in one place. Read it top to bottom, or jump straight to what is happening to you, and leave knowing your next step.Complete guide
- Leave and Benefits Complete GuideGetting sick, having a baby, caring for a parent, getting hurt on the job or losing work can happen to anyone. California has rules and programs for each one, and many of them work with or without papers. This guide puts them all in one place. Find your situation, take the first step today, and know what comes next.Complete guide