Philadelphia Labor Law & Employment Lawyers
Secured Millions for Workers Throughout Pennsylvania
Some general and employment law firms dedicate only a small portion of their efforts to wage and overtime rights lawsuits. Others may represent both employers and workers on these issues. At Winebrake & Santillo, we devote our complete attention to representing workers. The overwhelming majority of cases we accept directly involve wage and overtime law, but we also represent select matters tied to other workplace rights. In every case, we put employee interests first.
Our attorneys have over 70 years of combined legal experience. You work with a wage and hour law firm that understands how to take on large corporations and their legal teams. We have secured millions of dollars for hard-working employees in Philadelphia, including record-setting case settlements. Based in Philadelphia, we represent workers throughout Pennsylvania and across the U.S.
Philadelphia’s workforce spans historic neighborhoods and growing industries such as hospitality, logistics, and healthcare. These sectors often face wage and hour disputes unique to the city. We stay updated on Philadelphia’s wage theft ordinance and citywide regulations, ensuring employees receive clear, grounded legal guidance when pay issues arise.
Whether you’re dealing with a wage and hour case or another employment claim, contact our firm to discuss your options.
Employment Law Matters We Handle
Filing an employment law violation claim can be challenging and often involves complex legal requirements. Employees may need to document violations, gather proof, and take on a complex legal system. This process can become overwhelming, and any missteps may undermine the claim. Our team supports and guides you through these challenges.
We track local and federal law changes that affect workers’ rights across the Philadelphia area, including new city wage enforcement rules and adjustments to Pennsylvania’s minimum wage law. This lets us identify wage and hour issues that impact our community. By knowing the law’s local application in Philadelphia, we help employees understand their rights and chart the best way forward.
We have experience tackling common employment law issues, including:
- Wrongful Termination Cases: Representing employees who lose jobs unjustly due to discrimination or retaliation.
- Discrimination Claims: Representing those who endure unfair treatment based on race, gender, age, disability, or protected status.
- Harassment Cases: Handling claims involving workplace harassment, including sexual harassment and bullying.
- Wage & Hour Disputes: Assisting employees in cases where employers have failed to pay proper wages, overtime, or misclassified workers.
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Violations: Representing employees whose rights under the FMLA have been denied.
- Retaliation & Whistleblower Claims: Advocating for workers who face retaliation for reporting illegal activity or unsafe workplace conditions.
- Employment Contract Disputes: Assisting with situations where employers breach employment contracts or agreements.
An employment law attorney can offer vital support in making workplace claims, no matter their nature. With deep knowledge of federal and state law, our team at Winebrake & Santillo can help spot unlawful practices, build your case, and guide you through the process. We assist in organizing evidence, paperwork, and settlements. Should a case require litigation, you can count on our experience to look out for your interests in court.
Types of Employees We Help
Whether you face discrimination, wrongful termination, wage issues, or retaliation, our Philadelphia employment law attorneys work to make sure your rights are protected and you receive proper compensation if you are owed damages.
Restaurant Workers
In the restaurant industry, servers, runners, bartenders, and other front-of-house workers who collect tips are often paid less than minimum wage. This is permitted only when legal conditions are met. Employees must spend most of their time with customers, and tips must take their pay above federal and state minimums. Additional requirements can vary by state and city. We can advise if you have a claim under city or federal law.
Restaurant work in Philadelphia often brings long hours, weekend shifts, and holiday service. Local eateries also must comply with Philadelphia’s Gratuity Protection Bill, which ensures workers receive the full value of their tips. Servers and bartenders can take legal steps if owners withhold tips or misapply tip pooling rules. Our knowledge of city-specific restaurant laws helps us guide hospitality workers throughout Philadelphia neighborhoods.
Hourly Employees
Hourly employees may get assigned duties outside of clocked hours—such as putting on gear or prepping equipment—which can go unpaid. Over the years, lost wages for groups of workers may add up to significant amounts.
Philadelphia’s hourly workforce includes those in warehouses, clinics, colleges, and retail. Pennsylvania law requires overtime pay at time-and-a-half for more than 40 hours per week. Employees denied full overtime or meal and rest breaks may have grounds for recovery. We help workers in Philadelphia understand city and state rights so they can pursue owed pay.
Salaried Employees
Salaried workers may believe they are not eligible for overtime, but federal and Pennsylvania overtime exemptions cover only select positions. Other salaried employees still get overtime pay at one and a half times their hourly rate. We often represent people whose overtime was withheld or underpaid, including in cases routed through class action lawsuits.
Some employers in Philadelphia wrongly deny overtime by mislabeling job exemptions. Reviewing job duties—rather than just titles—reveals whether a worker truly qualifies. By examining workplace policies and actual responsibilities, we help clarify your pay rights and seek owed wages if needed.
Home Health Employees
Home health care jobs are growing, but agencies don’t always follow overtime pay laws for home health workers. Industry “norms” do not override legal protection. Employers must pay these employees at or above state and federal overtime rates, even when using per-visit pay.
Philadelphia’s aging population depends on home health aides and caregivers. Pennsylvania’s wage laws ensure each hour gets counted for pay, even in private homes. We keep up with state and city rules so health workers stay informed of all wage options if not paid fairly.
Independent Contractors
Misclassifying employees as “independent contractors” happens often when companies want to avoid overtime and benefits. Federal and state rules define true independent contractors based on duties and relationship, not just titles. Correct classification protects workers’ overtime and benefits.
Philadelphia employers in delivery, construction, and gig jobs sometimes mislabel staff as independent contractors, causing them to miss out on overtime and other protections. We review job details in light of both city and state rules, helping Philadelphia workers clarify their classification and restore lost pay.
Warehouse Workers
Warehouse workers often get misclassified as contractors or are asked to work unpaid overtime. Most are entitled to the same protections as other employees. Our team assists warehouse workers who have lost overtime pay due to improper job classification or a lack of pay records.
Philadelphia’s location by major highways and a busy port supports a steady demand for warehouse staff. With tight schedules and unpredictable demand, wage issues often surface. If local warehouses break overtime rules or do not keep accurate time records, workers have the right to pursue claims for wages owed under city and state law.
Our Office Location
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Twining Office Center
715 Twining Road
Suite 211
Dresher, PA 9025 Map & Directions
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"Significant experience"
Attorney Andy Santillo and his co-counsel are “patently qualified” attorneys who “have significant experience with wage payment and collections cases, knowledge of wage-and-hour law, and have clearly done significant work already in this case throughout discovery and the preparation of the motions and opposition papers now before the Court."
- MARTINEZ V. AMAZON.COM SERVS. LLC, 2024 U.S. DIST. LEXIS 209566, *28, *42-43 (D. Md. Nov. 18, 2024) -
"Winebrake & Santillo has a considerable record in employment matters."
Winebrake & Santillo has a considerable record in employment matters.- Ricci v. Newrez LLC, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 186727, at *23 (E.D. Pa. Oct. 17, 2023) -
"Have significant experience in similar matters under the [Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act]"
Winebrake & Santillo and their co-counsel “have significant experience in similar matters under the [Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act] and in the wage and hour context more broadly."- Torres v. Brandsafway Indus. LLC, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10631, at *8 (W.D. Pa. Jan. 20, 2023). -
"I highly recommend this law firm."
I highly recommend this law firm. They immediately talked with me about my situation, made some great recommendations, and gave me some good advice to move forward. 5 stars all the way!- Brandon