About WageCop

WageCop is a free time-tracking app built for California workers. It helps you keep an independent record of the hours you actually worked, GPS-stamped and cryptographically sealed, so your records stand up even when your employer's don't.

What WageCop does

WageCop lets you record your punches — clock-in, clock-out, meal breaks, and rest breaks — with a tap. Each punch captures the time, a GPS coordinate, and a SHA-256 cryptographic hash that locks the record the moment it's saved, witnessed by our servers with their own timestamp. The app also flags potential issues under California labor law, such as late or missed meal breaks, missed rest breaks, daily and weekly overtime owed, and the split-shift premium.

When real life doesn't fit the textbook, the app gives you precise language. You can mark a meal break as interrupted or denied; same for rest breaks. The label you choose stays attached to the record so an attorney later can see exactly what happened — not just that "something was off."

WageCop is built to work without signal. Punches lock to your device the moment you tap and sync up when you're back online — useful in basements, parking garages, loading docks, and anywhere your employer's WiFi conveniently isn't. The app is available in English and Spanish.

Your records belong to you. You can export them at any time. You can share them with anyone you choose. WageCop LLC does not send your data to any law firm or third party on your behalf.

The community forum

Inside the app, there's a forum where workers share what they're seeing on the job. Posts are tagged by issue type (meal break, rest break, overtime) and filterable to your own employer so you can see whether coworkers are reporting the same patterns. A worker who's been told "everyone takes a 30-minute unpaid lunch even when they work through it" can find out whether that's actually happening to others, too.

Posts must be factual descriptions of the poster's own experience. WageCop moderates for defamatory content and provides Edit, Delete, and Report tools inside the forum. Reading a post does not create any relationship between you and the poster — it's a place to compare notes, not to take action on someone else's behalf. Forum content is described in more detail in our Terms of Service.

The "Get Help" tab

When you're ready to talk to a lawyer, the in-app "Get Help" tab shows a directory of California wage-and-hour attorneys you can contact directly. These are paid listings, not referrals. WageCop LLC charges attorneys a flat rate to appear in the directory; we are not paid based on whether you contact any specific attorney, whether they take your case, or what happens in your case. Choosing whom to contact — or whether to contact anyone at all — is entirely up to you. You may also use any other resource you prefer, including the California State Bar's certified lawyer referral services or a trusted personal referral.

Who owns WageCop

WageCop is a product of WageCop LLC, a California limited liability company. WageCop LLC is owned by Eugene Lee, a California-licensed attorney (California State Bar No. 236812).

Eugene Lee is also the founder of California Labor Law, a separate law firm that represents workers in wage and hour matters. WageCop LLC and California Labor Law are separate legal entities. WageCop LLC is not a law firm. California Labor Law does not own WageCop, does not operate WageCop, does not receive user data from WageCop, and does not have any agreement with WageCop LLC to receive referrals from the app.

We disclose this ownership openly because transparency matters. You should know who is behind the tools you use, especially tools that handle evidence of legal claims.

Why we're not a lawyer referral service

WageCop does not recommend lawyers, refer users to specific law firms, or match users with legal representation. The app flags potential labor-law issues in plain English, but it is not giving you legal advice, and it is not connecting you with anyone. If you believe you have a legal claim, you should independently choose a licensed California labor attorney — or any other resource you prefer — to evaluate your specific situation.

Under California law, using a time-tracking application is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney. An attorney can evaluate the facts of your situation, explain your options, advise you on filing deadlines, and represent you in a wage claim if one is warranted. WageCop is a tool that helps you keep records. It does not replace a lawyer.

How we make money

WageCop is free for workers to download and use. WageCop LLC's revenue comes from flat-rate paid listings displayed in the in-app "Get Help" directory and from any other clearly-labeled advertising in the App or on this Site. We do not and will not receive any compensation that is tied to whether you pursue a legal claim, which lawyer or firm you select, or the outcome of any legal matter. We do not and will not share your records or personal information with advertisers on your behalf. Advertising is operated in compliance with applicable California law and the California Rules of Professional Conduct.

What WageCop is not

• WageCop is not a law firm. We do not provide legal services.
• WageCop is not a lawyer referral service. We do not recommend or match users with lawyers.
• WageCop is not a substitute for legal advice. Alert flags in the app are based on general rules of California labor law and may not reflect the specific facts of your situation.
• WageCop is not a guaranteed evidentiary tool. While we design the app to create tamper-evident records, admissibility of evidence in any legal proceeding depends on many factors, including rules of evidence, chain of custody, and case-specific circumstances.
• WageCop is not a substitute for the California Labor Commissioner or the courts. If you have a wage and hour claim, those are the venues through which claims are resolved — with or without an attorney.

Does WageCop apply to you?

WageCop's alert detection is built on the rules California applies to non-exempt, hourly employees — the rules in Labor Code §§ 510, 226.7, and the IWC Wage Orders that govern overtime, meal breaks, rest breaks, and split-shift premiums.

Many workers are misclassified — labeled "exempt," "salaried," "commissioned," "manager," or "independent contractor" by their employer when they shouldn't be. Misclassification is common, it's often not the worker's fault, and it can be the basis for a wage claim in itself. If you think you've been misclassified, that's a question for a licensed California labor attorney. In the meantime, WageCop is still useful to you — keeping an independent record of the hours you actually worked is valuable regardless of how your employer classifies you.

That said, WageCop's detection output may not reflect the rules that actually apply to your work if you fall into categories like these (among others):

• Exempt salaried employees (executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, or computer professional exemptions)
• Commission-based employees, including inside salespeople whose commissions make up more than half of their total compensation
• Unionized workers covered by a collective bargaining agreement (your CBA may provide different meal, rest, or overtime rules that supersede the statutory default)
• Truck drivers and other transportation workers regulated by the federal Department of Transportation
• Railroad, airline, and maritime workers (often governed by federal rather than state rules)
• Agricultural workers (separate IWC Wage Order and overtime rules)
• Construction, drilling, logging, or mining workers on-site (different break and overtime rules may apply)
• Domestic workers, in-home caregivers, and personal attendants
• Camp counselors
• Irrigators and sheepherders
• Taxi drivers
• Motion picture industry employees
• Public sector employees (city, county, state, federal, or school district employment is often exempt from Labor Code meal and rest break requirements)
• Independent contractors (1099) — though many 1099 workers are misclassified employees
• Unpaid interns and volunteers
• Family members of the employer
• Or any other category of worker with specialized rules

This list is not exhaustive — California labor law has dozens of industry-specific, occupation-specific, and employer-specific carveouts. When in doubt, talk to a licensed California labor attorney.

If you fall into any of these categories — or you're not sure whether you do — the alerts WageCop displays may not be accurate for your situation. Use WageCop to keep your records. Consult a licensed California labor attorney to determine what rules actually apply to you, whether you're properly classified, and what claims (if any) you may have.

Filing deadlines matter

Wage and hour claims in California are subject to filing deadlines. In most cases, the deadline is three years from the date of the underlying conduct. In some circumstances, a one-year deadline may apply. Do not wait. If you believe you may be owed unpaid wages or break premiums, consult a licensed California labor attorney promptly — whether through the State Bar's certified lawyer referral services, a trusted personal referral, or any other means you choose.

Questions