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How to File a Wage Complaint

In order for the N.C. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Bureau to assist an employee with a wage dispute, a complaint must be filed with this office. To file a wage complaint, you must contact our Call‐Center at 1‐800‐625‐2267 (1‐800‐NC‐LABOR). An Information Specialist will take the complaint information over the telephone and enter it into our computer data intake system. To better serve you, we ask that you have the following information available when you call:

  • Your name
  • Your address and phone number
  • Name of the Employer/Company where you work(ed)
  • Employer’s Physical address (i.e. business location) (cannot take P.O. Boxes)
  • Employer’s contact information such as: phone number, fax, and/or email
  • Name and last name of the contact person we need to speak with in regards to your wages (i.e. owner, manager or supervisor)
  • Business Nature (i.e. law office, home health care, etc.)
  • Rate of Pay (i.e. $7.25 per hour, 25% Commission)
  • Total amount you claim is owed by your employer
  • Dates worked, but not compensated.
  • Payment due date and form of payment (i.e. every Friday, cash or check).
  • Beginning Date of Employment
  • Ending Date of Employment

     Due to the high volume of complaints, our office will not accept complaints for wages due more than one year ago.

You must provide us with your name and contact information if you are filing a complaint for wages. We are unable to accept third party complaints for wages (i.e. girlfriend or wife filing for boyfriend or husband). Our Call‐Center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday thru Friday.

Anonymous complaints can only be filed in the following circumstances:

An employee may also take legal action on their own, including small claims court if applicable, without first having to file a wage complaint with this office. However, an employee cannot come back to us to file a wage claim if they take their own legal action in court regardless of the outcome. If an employee files a wage complaint with us and we cannot resolve their complaint, they are still free to take their own legal action.

We do not take wage complaints for less than $50.00.

If your wage complaint deals with your last paycheck, you must wait 10 days after the payday in order to file a wage complaint with this office.

For more information about workplace rights, please contact our toll free number at 1-800-NC-LABOR (800-625-2267).

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