Walk It Through: The Short Paycheck
$12.77 an hour in 2026, the last check on the usual payday, and small claims up to $5,000.
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 wages, the criminal penalty for willful nonpayment, and a complaint to the Commissioner 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.
- Class 1 misdemeanorThe highest misdemeanor class, punishable by up to twelve months in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.
- Liquidated damagesAn amount equal to the unpaid wages that the court awards on top of them in a suit for unpaid wages, with prejudgment interest and attorney fees; the award is triple the wages when the employer knowingly failed to pay.
- Small claims courtThe court that hears civil claims of up to $5,000, not counting interest, where every party represents itself.