What it is
Wage claims are filed with the state wage and hour agency, with deadlines that run from the pay date and limits on how far back you can reach. Several states add treble damages and interest, and some pay attorney fees on proven claims. Records, not memory, decide the claim.
What to do about it: Keep the pay statement, the handbook payout rule, and the written demand. Remote work makes the jurisdiction question live: the state you worked in, not the state the payroll is in, is the usual route.
Plain-language description of US practice, not legal, tax, or financial advice. The paired guide carries the citations, dates, and thresholds; the state pages carry the local windows.