What are the deadlines for bringing wage claims?

Hi, my name is Innessa Huot and I’m an employment attorney.

Under federal law, which applies to employees in all 50 states, claims for unpaid wages need to be brought within three years. Now many states have passed their own laws which provide for greater protections above and beyond what’s provided under the federal law.

So, for example, in New York, employees can file claims for unpaid wages going as far back as six years. But now it’s really important to remember that regardless of whether the deadline to file a claim is three or six years, you should file your claim as soon as possible because with each passing day you lose a day of damages for which you could be entitled to.

So, for example, if you file a claim in New York today for unpaid wages, you can only go back six years from today and the rest of the time before then would be lost.

So that’s why it’s really important that you speak with an experienced attorney right away, so that you can fully understand your rights. We deal with these kinds of claims on a daily basis and we’d be happy to speak with you so that you can better understand what your rights are. Thank you so much for watching.