Some areas may even have systems in place that force the defendant (corp/co) to pay said legal costs outside/on top of the awarded sum.

see: wage theft, workers comp, fee-shifting provisions (freq. labor violations, discrimination claims, environmental law, consumer protection, IP, etc.)

That said, here’s a relevant PSA, if that helps anyone here:

If you’ve experienced the following or similar issues with your employer:

• not getting your full break(s) during a shift (eg. being asked to come back early “for the team”),
• bathroom visits deducted from break time allotment,
• breaks deducted from your check incorrectly (usually in said employer’s favor)
• tips “adjusted” for any reason, incl. non-tipped positions (eg. mgmt) taking a percentage,
• wage “adjusted” by internal policy, despite local/state/federal requirements stating otherwise
• OT unpaid “for reasons”
• etc., etc.

… you should at least contact a local law firm specializing in employment/contract/labor law. Often enough, many will offer a free consultation to first clarify whether you have a case to work with, or what steps are still needed in order to move forward toward justice.

Keep in mind, fellow poors, there’s no obligation for you to ultimately choose any attorney(s) you consult with (don’t forget: start w/ free consults in this exploratory stage). FWIW, most of those that I’ve contacted over the decades seem personally driven to champion for us poors in their work. (Anecdotal, yes, but earnestly hoping it helps) Which may be related to the fact that it’s the judgements against said shitheel corpos that the attorneys get their wages from, instead of their client, who’s yet another victim of normalized, unchecked greed. ✊🏼