Ready-to-send local document
Unpaid wages demand letter Demand wages you already earned
Get a ready-to-send formal document with a clear demand, a deadline, relevant U.S. rules, and the next practical step. PDF and editable DOCX included.
$4.99 · One-time payment
Example situation
My final paycheck is missing 32 hours of work and my former employer will not correct it.
Official sources for this type of problem
- Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 206–207
What the source covers: Facts support a federal minimum-wage or overtime claim; state wage law may provide additional rights.
- Fair Labor Standards Act recordkeeping rules, 29 C.F.R. Part 516
What the source covers: An employer's existing time, payroll, sales, or compensation records are factually relevant to a pay dispute, including a commission shown in the employer's own report. Cite Part 516 only as the federal recordkeeping framework and ask the employer voluntarily to preserve, reconcile, explain, or provide copies of relevant records; never state that Part 516 itself gives the employee a private right to production or correction, or makes a promised commission payable when no minimum-wage or overtime facts support that conclusion.
Before you send your letter
Make the missing pay easy to calculate
Name the employer and the state where you worked. List the pay period, hours, agreed rate, usual payday and amount actually paid. Explain whether the problem concerns ordinary wages, overtime, deductions or a final paycheck. If your hours are disputed, describe the records you have, such as a schedule, timesheet, pay stub or messages assigning work. Show the calculation behind your request and identify any estimate as an estimate. A payroll reviewer should be able to follow the numbers without reconstructing your entire employment history from scattered messages.
Request a specific payroll correction
Ask for the identified unpaid amount and a written explanation of any figure the employer disputes. If you are asking for a corrected wage statement, say so separately from the payment itself. State the payday that was missed and choose a clear requested response date. Final-pay timing depends on state law. For example, California requires final wages immediately on discharge and within 72 hours after quitting without notice (Labor Code sections 201 and 202); New York requires them by the regular payday for the last pay period (Labor Law section 191); Texas requires final pay within six days after discharge or by the next regular payday after a resignation. Do not describe every contractual pay disagreement as a federal overtime violation when the facts support a different issue.
Send it to someone who can fix payroll
Use the payroll, HR or employer contact that handles pay corrections, and keep the message professional and factual. Send copies of relevant records with private details unrelated to the dispute removed. Keep your own complete records. If mail is appropriate, Certified Mail can document the mailing and delivery; a Return Receipt adds a signature record. Record any acknowledgement and promised payment date. The letter should explain the correction you need, not threaten consequences you do not intend to pursue or claim that an agency has already ruled in your favor.
A letter is not the only way to ask for help
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division handles complaints involving the federal wage laws it enforces, including covered minimum-wage and overtime issues. State labor agencies, such as the California Labor Commissioner or the Texas Workforce Commission, handle wage-payment claims under state law. You can contact the relevant agency without waiting for your requested reply date to expire. Keep filing deadlines in mind: Texas, for example, generally expects a Payday Law claim within 180 days after the wages were due. DocBrain turns your facts and pay calculation into a clear demand; it does not submit an agency claim or replace the agency's assessment.
Before you pay
Do I need to know which document or law I need?
No. Describe the problem in your own words and DocBrain chooses the most useful document and supporting rules.
What if I do not know every date or detail?
You still receive a complete document. Any genuinely missing fact appears as a clear editable placeholder.
Is this a subscription?
No. The price is $4.99 for this one document bundle, with no recurring charge.