Wage Hour Lawyer in Fairfield

If you experienced wage theft at a Fairfield workplace, you have strong protections under California law. We represent employees only, never employers, and offer a free, confidential consultation. 1-800-371-3088.

What Are Wage and Hour Claims in Fairfield

Fairfield workers are entitled to the highest of: federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour), California state minimum wage ($16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026 under California Labor Code section 1182.12), or any applicable local minimum wage. Fairfield has no separate citywide minimum-wage ordinance; the California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour applies. Fast-food workers at chains with 60 or more national locations earn at least $20.00/hour under AB 1228 (California Labor Code section 1474) since April 1, 2024. Healthcare workers at covered facilities earn tiered rates under SB 525 (California Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16) reaching $25/hour at large hospital systems on July 1, 2026.

Fairfield Industries Where Wage and Hour Violations Are Most Common

• Active-duty military and Air Force civilian workers at Travis AFB - at Travis Air Force Base (largest air-mobility wing in the U.S. Air Force - workforce of ~13,336-13,414 personnel including ~7,200-7,520 active-duty military, ~3,096-3,770 Air Force Reservists, and ~1,296-1,828 civil-service civilians; home to the 60th Air Mobility Wing). Civilian DoD employees are covered by Title 5 U.S. Code (Civil Service Reform Act); MSPB appeal rights (5 U.S.C. section 7701); Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 (5 U.S.C. section 2302(b)(8)-(9)); USERRA (38 U.S.C. section 4301 et seq.) for reservist re-employment; and EEO complaints through the agency EEO office before EEOC. Active-duty service members have limited civil-court access but may pursue Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) complaints, IG complaints, and Article 138 redress.
• Military and federal healthcare workers at David Grant USAF Medical Center - at the David Grant USAF Medical Center (DGMC - the Air Force's largest medical center in the continental United States; $315 million annual budget; 2,500+ personnel including 646 active-duty officers and 933 enlisted; a Joint Commission-accredited teaching hospital). Civilian DoD healthcare workers covered by Title 5 federal employment law, MSPB, WPEA, USERRA, the Federal Tort Claims Act (28 U.S.C. section 1346(b)) for medical-malpractice patient claims, and federal EEO procedures. Active-duty military medical personnel are subject to the Feres doctrine for in-service injuries but retain MEO and IG complaint rights.
• Healthcare workers at NorthBay Medical Center - at NorthBay Medical Center (1200 B. Gale Wilson Boulevard, Fairfield, CA 94533 - 154-bed acute-care hospital, Level II Trauma Center, accredited Chest Pain Center with PCI, primary stroke center, 24-hour emergency department and STEMI Receiving Center; HCAI ID 106481357; part of NorthBay Health, non-profit). Covered by SB 525 healthcare-worker minimum-wage schedule (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16), California Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation), and CNA / SEIU-UHW / NUHW collective bargaining agreements.
• Candy manufacturing and food workers at Jelly Belly (Ferrara Candy) - at the Jelly Belly Candy Company headquarters and Visitor Center (One Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield, CA 94533) - now owned by Ferrara Candy Co. / Ferrero following the 2023 acquisition. Per the February 24, 2026 Los Angeles Times report, Ferrara Candy Co. will lay off 69 corporate employees at the Fairfield Jelly Belly headquarters beginning June 2026 - triggering California WARN Act (Cal. Labor Code section 1400 et seq.) notice obligations. Food-manufacturing workers are covered by IWC Wage Order 1 (manufacturing) and Cal/OSHA standards for food-processing equipment.
• Brewery workers affected by Anheuser-Busch Fairfield closure - at the Anheuser-Busch Fairfield Budweiser brewery, which will permanently close on February 22, 2026, displacing 238 workers per the company's public statements and Cal-WARN notices (along with Anheuser-Busch facilities in Newark, NJ, and Merrimack, NH). The closure is subject to active California WARN Act investigation regarding whether the company provided the required 60-day notice (Strauss Borrelli WARN Act investigation, December 16, 2025). Anheuser-Busch has 8 WARN notices filed nationally affecting 994 workers (Sept 2020 to Feb 2026). California WARN Act (Cal. Labor Code section 1400 et seq.) provides for up to 60 days of back pay plus benefits (Cal. Labor Code section 1402) if proper notice was not given to employees, the EDD, the local workforce investment board, and the chief elected official.
• K-12 education workers at Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District - at the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District (FSUSD - one of the largest school districts in Solano County serving Fairfield, Suisun City, and Travis AFB). Covered by California Education Code sections 44930-44987 (permanent-employee dismissal protections), the Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA / Cal. Gov. Code sections 3540-3549.3), Cal. Education Code section 44113 (school-employee whistleblower protections), and CTA-affiliated collective bargaining agreements. Federal Impact Aid (20 U.S.C. section 7701 et seq.) supports FSUSD for Travis AFB student enrollment. All public-school employees subject to PEPRA and the 6-month government-claim deadline.
• Community-college workers at Solano Community College - at Solano Community College main campus (4000 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield, CA 94534, (707) 864-7000) - part of the Solano Community College District, also serving Vacaville and Vallejo campuses. Community-college employees covered by HEERA (for management/excluded employees) or EERA (for faculty and classified staff), Cal. Education Code sections 87600-87683 (faculty tenure and dismissal), PEPRA, and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.
• City of Fairfield government and public-safety workers - at the City of Fairfield (1000 Webster Street - general-law city incorporated in 1903, council-manager form per fairfield.ca.gov/government; Solano County seat), the Fairfield Police Department, and the Fairfield Fire Department. Police covered by POBR (Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.); firefighters by FBOR (Cal. Gov. Code section 3250 et seq.); all public employees by PEPRA, MMBA (Cal. Gov. Code sections 3500-3511), and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline (Gov. Code section 911.2).
• Solano County government workers - at Solano County offices in Fairfield (the county seat) including the Solano County Government Center, Solano County Sheriff's Office, and Solano County Superior Court support staff. Covered by MMBA, PEPRA, POBR (for deputy sheriffs), the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline, and Solano County civil-service rules.
• Retail, restaurant, and consumer-services workers - at retailers along Travis Boulevard and at the Solano Town Center, plus chain retailers throughout Fairfield. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474). Retail workers covered by IWC Wage Order 7 (mercantile industry).

Fairfield Local Protections

Fairfield has no separate citywide minimum-wage, hotel-worker, fair-workweek, healthcare-worker, or paid-sick-leave ordinance beyond California state law. Fairfield is a general-law city, incorporated in 1903, operating under the council-manager form of government with a separately-elected mayor and six district-elected council members. As the Solano County seat and home to Travis Air Force Base and the David Grant USAF Medical Center, Fairfield workers face a unique mix of federal-employee, military, and California state-law jurisdictional issues. The most significant current event for Fairfield workers is the February 22, 2026 closure of the Anheuser-Busch Fairfield Budweiser brewery, displacing 238 workers - a closure under active California WARN Act investigation, plus the 69 layoffs at Jelly Belly / Ferrara Candy headquarters beginning June 2026. Fairfield workers rely on the state-level minimum-wage floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1182.12 - $16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026) plus industry-specific state rules including AB 1228 ($20/hour fast-food), SB 525 (healthcare-worker tiered schedule), AB 701 (warehouse quotas), and the California WARN Act (Cal. Labor Code section 1400 et seq.).

California Paid Sick Leave (Labor Code sections 245-249) requires at least 40 hours (5 days) of paid sick leave per year, effective January 1, 2024. The 2026 exempt-salary floor is $70,304/year (twice the state minimum wage, per DIR News 2025-118).

California Law

For the full California wage-and-hour framework, including overtime (Labor Code section 510), meal and rest breaks (sections 512 and 226.7), wage statements (section 226), waiting-time penalties (section 203), expense reimbursement (section 2802), and PAGA (sections 2698 et seq.), see our California employment law page.

What Compensation Can You Recover

Unpaid wages, overtime, missed meal/rest premiums (one hour of pay per missed break), wage-statement penalties (up to $4,000 per employee under Labor Code section 226(e)), waiting-time penalties (up to 30 days of pay under Labor Code section 203), interest, liquidated damages on minimum-wage shortfalls, and attorneys' fees and costs (Labor Code section 1194). For details, see our California employment law page.

How to File a Wage Claim in Fairfield

Wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE Oakland Office, 1515 Clay Street, Room 401, Oakland, CA 94612). Civil suits are heard at the Solano County Superior Court, Hall of Justice, 600 Union Avenue, Fairfield, CA 94533 and the Old Solano Courthouse, 580 Texas Street, Fairfield, CA 94533. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.