Walk It Through: The Short Paycheck
$13.73 an hour in 2026, sick time by the hour worked, and small claims up to $7,000.
A line cook's first paycheck works out to less than the minimum wage for the hours on the time sheet.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
One paycheck and one cook. Tipped rates, the youth rate, and a claim with the department for unpaid wages are not worked through here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Small claimsThe small claims division every district court has, for cases seeking money up to $7,000.
- Retaliatory evictionAn eviction intended primarily as a penalty for trying to enforce rights, or for complaining to a government authority about a health or safety code violation. A judgment for possession may not be entered where the tenant establishes it.