Wage Hour Lawyer in Fontana

If you experienced wage theft at a Fontana 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 Fontana

Fontana 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. Fontana 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.

Fontana Industries Where Wage and Hour Violations Are Most Common

• Healthcare workers - at the Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center (9961 Sierra Avenue, Fontana, CA 92335 - the founding Kaiser Permanente hospital in Southern California, opened 1943 by Henry J. Kaiser and Dr. Sidney R. Garfield to serve the Kaiser Steel mill workforce; 6,000+ employees, 500+ physicians, 4,400 support staff, 440,000+ members; 314-private-bed general acute care hospital with a 28-bed expansion). Covered by SB 525 healthcare worker minimum-wage schedule (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16), California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation). Kaiser employees are also covered by California Nurses Association (CNA) and SEIU-UHW collective bargaining agreements - collective bargaining does not waive statutory FEHA or California Labor Code rights.
• Warehouse, logistics, and distribution workers - at the dozens of warehouses, distribution centers, and trucking yards along the I-10 / I-15 / I-215 corridor in Fontana (one of the largest warehouse markets in the Inland Empire). The closure of the historic Kaiser Steel mill in 1983 and the closure of the Auto Club Speedway in 2023 has triggered an additional 433-acre warehouse-complex development on the former speedway site (9300 Cherry Avenue). Covered by California's Warehouse Quotas Act, AB 701 (Cal. Labor Code sections 2100-2112), which requires written quota disclosure, prohibits quotas that interfere with meal, rest, or bathroom use, and provides a private right of action. Client-employer liability under California Labor Code section 2810.3 makes brand-name retailers and logistics companies jointly responsible for staffing-agency and subcontractor wage violations.
• Education workers - at the Fontana Unified School District / FUSD (9680 Citrus Avenue, (909) 357-5000 - one of the largest school districts in the Inland Empire, operates 40+ schools serving Fontana, parts of Rialto, and unincorporated San Bernardino County). Public-school workers (teachers, classified staff, paraprofessionals, custodians, food-service 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 (Cal. Gov. Code section 911.2).
• Retail and consumer-services workers - at Falcon Ridge Town Center, Renaissance Marketplace, and chain retailers along Sierra Avenue, Foothill Boulevard, Highland Avenue, and Citrus Avenue including Walmart, Target, Costco, and many fast-food and restaurant chains. Common claims: wage and hour (off-the-clock and rounding violations under Cal. Labor Code sections 226.7, 510, 512), commission disputes (Cal. Labor Code section 2751), and sexual harassment under FEHA (Cal. Gov. Code section 12940(j)). Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474).
• Government and public-sector workers - at the City of Fontana (16860 Valencia Avenue), the Fontana Police Department (Fontana operates its own police department), the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department - Fontana Station, and Cal Fire / San Bernardino County Fire. Peace officers are covered by the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR, Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.). Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.

Fontana Local Protections

Fontana has no separate citywide minimum-wage, hotel-worker, fair-workweek, healthcare-worker, or paid-sick-leave ordinance beyond California state law. Fontana workers rely on the state-level floor under California 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 - directly relevant to Kaiser Fontana workers), and AB 701 (warehouse quotas - directly relevant to Fontana's massive I-10 / I-15 / I-215 warehouse corridor).

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 Fontana

Wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE San Bernardino Office, 464 West 4th Street, Suite 348, San Bernardino, CA 92401). Civil suits are heard at the San Bernardino County Superior Court, San Bernardino Justice Center, 247 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.