Daly City Employment Lawyer

Why Daly City Workers Need a Lawyer Who Knows the Local Industries

Daly City is the largest city in San Mateo County with a 2020 census population of 104,901. The city is known for its diverse population (57.3% Asian, 23.1% Hispanic or Latino) and its location immediately south of San Francisco on the Pacific coast. City Hall is at 333 90th Street, Daly City, CA 94015, (650) 991-8000. Daly City has its own local minimum-wage ordinance. The Daly City minimum wage is $17.50/hour effective January 1, 2026. The Daly City workforce centers on three pillars. First, healthcare is anchored by the AHMC Seton Medical Center at 1900 Sullivan Avenue, Daly City, CA 94015, (650) 992-4000 - a 377-398-bed hospital owned by AHMC Healthcare (originally Mary's Help Hospital, providing care since 1965). Second, retail is anchored by the Westlake Shopping Center and the Serramonte Center, two of the largest retail centers in the Bay Area peninsula. Third, the Jefferson Union High School District and the Jefferson Elementary School District serve Daly City students. Daly City sits adjacent to Brisbane and San Bruno, with proximity to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) - Daly City residents make up a significant portion of the SFO workforce. None of these protections matter if you do not assert them on time. Public-employer claims (City of Daly City, Jefferson UHSD, Jefferson Elementary, San Mateo County Community College District, San Mateo County) carry a strict 6-month government-claim deadline under Cal. Government Code section 911.2. We file the claim, take it through the agency or court, and recover what you are owed. No fee unless we win.

Daly City Industries Where Employment Violations Are Common

Daly City employment cases tend to cluster in five industry concentrations.

Healthcare

The AHMC Seton Medical Center at 1900 Sullivan Avenue, Daly City, CA 94015, (650) 992-4000 is a 377-398-bed hospital owned by AHMC Healthcare (originally Mary's Help Hospital, founded 1965). AHMC Seton is one of the largest employers in Daly City. The system also operates AHMC Seton Coastside (a smaller facility in Moss Beach). Healthcare workers are covered by SB 525 (California Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16) tiered healthcare-worker minimum-wage schedule and California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation). The Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center also serves many Daly City residents.

Retail and consumer services

The Westlake Shopping Center (285 Lake Merced Boulevard - one of the largest open-air shopping centers in the Bay Area) and the Serramonte Center (3 Serramonte Center - enclosed regional mall) are two of the largest retail centers in San Mateo County and Daly City's primary retail anchors. Chain retailers along Mission Street, Junipero Serra Boulevard, Geneva Avenue, and the I-280 corridor add additional retail employment. Daly City workers covered by the Daly City Minimum Wage Ordinance earn $17.50/hour effective January 1, 2026. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474).

Education

The Jefferson Union High School District (JUHSD) serves grades 9-12 in Daly City and northern San Mateo County. The Jefferson Elementary School District serves K-8. Skyline College (in adjacent San Bruno; part of the San Mateo County Community College District) serves Daly City community-college students. Public-school workers have pre-deprivation due-process rights under Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal.3d 194, California Whistleblower Protection Act coverage under Cal. Government Code section 8547, and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.

SFO and airport-related employment

Daly City sits north of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and a significant portion of Daly City residents work at SFO or in airport-related operations (airlines, ground handling, cargo, hospitality, rental car). Airline workers are covered by the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. section 151 et seq.) for collective bargaining and the federal AIR21 whistleblower statute (49 U.S.C. section 42121) for safety reporting. Ground-handling and ramp workers are typically W-2 employees of contractors. SFO airport workers (under the City of San Francisco's jurisdiction) are covered by the San Francisco Airport Quality Standards Program.

Government and public sector

The City of Daly City (333 90th Street), the Daly City Police Department, and North County Fire Authority (which provides fire services to Daly City) are major government employers. Peace officers are covered by the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR), Cal. Government Code section 3300 et seq. Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.

Daly City Worker Protections

Daly City has its own local minimum-wage ordinance.

• Daly City minimum wage - $17.50/hour effective January 1, 2026 (Daly City Minimum Wage Ordinance). Higher than the California state minimum of $16.90/hour. Adjusted annually based on the Regional Consumer Price Index.
• California minimum wage (2026) - $16.90/hour state floor.
• Fast-food minimum wage - $20.00/hour for covered fast-food restaurant employees at chains with 60+ national locations (AB 1228, Cal. Labor Code section 1474).
• Healthcare worker minimum wage - SB 525 (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16). Directly relevant to AHMC Seton Medical Center workers.
• California Paid Sick Leave - California Labor Code sections 245-249.
• Exempt salary floor (2026) - $70,304/year.
• Cal-WARN Act - California Labor Code sections 1400 et seq.
• Public-employer government-claim deadline - Cal. Government Code section 911.2.
• Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR) - Cal. Government Code section 3300 et seq.
• Hospital-worker whistleblower protection - California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5.
• AIR21 whistleblower - 49 U.S.C. section 42121. Directly relevant to Daly City residents working at SFO.

California Law That Applies in Daly City

• FEHA, Cal. Government Code section 12940 et seq.
• Overtime and breaks, California Labor Code sections 510, 226.7, 512.
• Wage statements and waiting-time penalties, California Labor Code sections 226 and 203.
• Whistleblower retaliation, California Labor Code section 1102.5. SB 497 added a 90-day rebuttable presumption.
• Wrongful termination in violation of public policy - Tameny v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (1980) 27 Cal.3d 167.
• Hostile work environment - Jones v. The Lodge at Torrey Pines Partnership (2008) 42 Cal.4th 1158.
• California Equal Pay Act, California Labor Code section 1197.5.
• Lactation accommodation, California Labor Code sections 1030-1034 and the federal PUMP Act, 29 U.S.C. section 218d.
• California WARN Act, California Labor Code sections 1400 et seq.
• Independent-contractor classification, California Labor Code section 2775.
• Client-employer liability, California Labor Code section 2810.3.
• Healthcare worker minimum wage, California Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16 (SB 525).
• Fast-food restaurant minimum wage, California Labor Code section 1474 (AB 1228).
• Non-competes void, California Business and Professions Code section 16600.
• Stay-or-pay clauses void, California Labor Code section 926 (AB 692). Effective January 1, 2026.
• Silenced No More Act, California Code of Civil Procedure section 1001 and Cal. Government Code section 12964.5 (SB 331).
• Hospital-worker whistleblower, California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5.
• Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR), Cal. Government Code section 3300 et seq.
• PAGA, California Labor Code sections 2698 et seq.
• Government-claim deadline, Cal. Government Code section 911.2.
• Daly City Minimum Wage Ordinance.

The 2026 exempt-salary threshold is $70,304 per year. A Daly City worker paid less than that, no matter what title is on the door, is almost certainly a non-exempt employee entitled to overtime and meal/rest premiums.

How to File a Claim in Daly City

Court

Civil employment lawsuits filed by Daly City workers are heard at the San Mateo County Superior Court, Northern Branch, 1050 Mission Road, South San Francisco, CA 94080, or at the Southern Branch Hall of Justice and Records, 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063. Federal claims are heard at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102.

State, federal, and local agencies

• City of Daly City - 333 90th Street, Daly City, CA 94015, (650) 991-8000. The City enforces the Daly City Minimum Wage Ordinance.
• CRD Oakland Office - 1515 Clay Street, Suite 701, Oakland, CA 94612. Statewide intake (800) 884-1684.
• EEOC San Francisco District Office - 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 5 West, San Francisco, CA 94102.
• California Labor Commissioner (DLSE) San Francisco Office - 455 Golden Gate Avenue, 9th Floor, Suite 9628, San Francisco, CA 94102, (415) 703-5300.
• Cal/OSHA - (833) 579-0927.

Deadlines that matter most

• 6-month government-claim deadline - Cal. Government Code section 911.2.
• 1-year right-to-sue deadline - Cal. Government Code section 12965.
• 300-day EEOC charge deadline.
• 3-year wage-claim statute; extendable to 4 under Bus. & Prof. Code section 17200.

Why Daly City Workers Choose Eghbali Law Firm

• Employees only

  We never represent employers. Every resource goes toward winning your case.

• No fee unless we win

  You pay nothing unless we recover for you. No upfront costs. No hidden fees.

• Free confidential consultation

  No cost to speak with us. Everything you share is protected by attorney-client privilege.

• Statewide California practice

  We serve workers across all of California regardless of where you live or work.

• Phone or video, no office visit needed

  Most consultations happen by phone or video. You only attend if your testimony is required.

• Multilingual staff available

  We serve clients in multiple languages. Contact us to discuss your case in your preferred language.