Understanding Your Right to Inspect Payroll Records

Every California employee has the right to inspect their payroll records. Employers must provide copies within 21 days. Workers who request their records before filing a claim are starting the process correctly.

What to Request

A complete records request should include: all pay stubs for the prior three years, time records for the same period, any written compensation agreements, and any documentation of deductions. The employer must provide these. Failure to provide records within 21 days generates its own penalty.

Records requests often produce more than the worker expected. Time records maintained by the employer sometimes differ from what was paid. Pay stubs calculated incorrectly are visible immediately. Workers who receive their records and compare them to what they were actually paid often find violations they didn’t know to look for.

The California Wage Theft Recovery System gives workers the exact tools and templates to document violations, calculate what they’re owed, and file the right claims at the right agencies — without paying an attorney to get started. Request your free evaluation here.