Fresno Employment Lawyer

Why Fresno Workers Need a Lawyer Who Knows the Local Industries

Fresno is an agricultural city, a healthcare city, a food-processing city, a manufacturing city, and an education city, and each of those industries has its own pattern of employment-law violations. Fresno is a charter city with a Strong Mayor / Mayor-Council form of government (effective January 1997 after the 1993 voter-approved charter amendment), headquartered at 2600 Fresno Street. The Fresno economy is anchored by agriculture (Fresno County is consistently among the top US agricultural counties by total production value at over $7.7 billion annually - grapes, almonds, pistachios, citrus, tomatoes, milk, poultry); by healthcare at Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC) (2823 Fresno Street - flagship of the Community Medical Centers system, the only Level I Trauma Center between Los Angeles and Sacramento, home to the Leon S. Peters Burn Center - the region's only comprehensive burn center), Clovis Community Medical Center, and Saint Agnes Medical Center (1303 E. Herndon Avenue - Trinity Health 436-bed acute-care hospital); by food processing at Foster Farms and The Wonderful Company (Fiji Water / POM Wonderful / Wonderful Pistachios / Wonderful Halos / Wonderful Citrus); and by manufacturing at Pelco (a subsidiary of Motorola Solutions / NYSE: MSI). Education is anchored by the Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) - the 4th-largest unified district in California with 106 schools and 73,000-74,000 students; Fresno City College (the oldest community college in California, founded 1910); and California State University, Fresno (Fresno State). None of these protections matter if you do not assert them on time. Public-employer claims (City of Fresno, FUSD, Fresno City College, CSU Fresno, County of Fresno) 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.

Fresno Industries Where Employment Violations Are Common

Fresno employment cases tend to fall into several industry concentrations. Each one has its own legal framework and its own recurring fact patterns.

Agriculture (Fresno County - top US ag-producing county)

Fresno County agricultural fields, packing houses, and food-processing plants. Fresno County is consistently among the top US agricultural counties by total production value (over $7.7 billion annually) - grapes, almonds, pistachios, citrus, tomatoes, milk, poultry, and dozens of other commodities. Agricultural workers are covered by the Agricultural Labor Relations Act (ALRA, Cal. Labor Code section 1140 et seq.) with the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB); AB 1066 (Cal. Labor Code section 857) daily/weekly overtime for farmworkers (8 hours per day, 40 hours per week threshold phased in by 2022); Cal/OSHA heat illness prevention regulations (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 8, section 3395); and federal MSPA protections (29 U.S.C. section 1801 et seq.).

Healthcare (CRMC, Clovis Community, Saint Agnes)

Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC) (2823 Fresno Street) is the flagship of the Community Medical Centers system, home to the only Level I (highest-level) Trauma Center between Los Angeles and Sacramento and the Leon S. Peters Burn Center, the region's only comprehensive burn center. Clovis Community Medical Center (2755 Herndon Avenue, Clovis) is part of the same Community Medical Centers / Community Health System parent. Saint Agnes Medical Center (1303 E. Herndon Avenue) is a Trinity Health 436-bed non-profit acute-care hospital. Covered by California's SB 525 healthcare-worker minimum-wage schedule (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16); Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 $25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation; and CNA / SEIU-UHW collective bargaining agreements. Recent enforcement: on May 14, 2025, Community Health System agreed to a $31.5 million federal settlement with the U.S. Attorney's Office resolving alleged kickback schemes.

Food processing (Foster Farms, The Wonderful Company)

Foster Farms poultry processing operations (headquartered in Livingston, Merced County, with significant Fresno-area operations) and The Wonderful Company (Fiji Water / POM Wonderful / Wonderful Pistachios / Wonderful Halos / Wonderful Citrus) are major employers. Poultry-processing workers across the industry have been part of a major $398 million antitrust settlement (Cohen Milstein-led litigation against Agri Stats and major poultry processors). Foster Farms reached a 2025 settlement with the Animal Legal Defense Fund and experienced a major COVID-19 outbreak affecting approximately 400 workers - relevant precedent for Fresno-area food-processing layoffs and Cal-WARN obligations. Food-processing workers are covered by Cal/OSHA standards (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 8), California Labor Code section 6310, and federal OSH Act section 11(c) (29 U.S.C. section 660).

Manufacturing (Pelco / Motorola Solutions)

Pelco is a subsidiary of Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) and is a security camera and video surveillance manufacturer based in the Fresno-Clovis area. Manufacturing workers are covered by Cal/OSHA standards, California Labor Code section 6310 (retaliation for safety reporting), and federal OSH Act section 11(c). Public-company employees (NYSE: MSI) are also protected by Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) and Dodd-Frank section 922 (15 U.S.C. section 78u-6). Engineers and designers are covered by the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (18 U.S.C. section 1836); California Bus. & Prof. Code section 16600 prohibits non-competes.

Education, retail, aviation, and public sector

The Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) is the 4th-largest unified school district in California (106 schools, 73,000-74,000 students; main office at 2309 Tulare Street). The Central Unified School District, Sanger Unified School District, Fresno City College (1101 E. University Avenue - the oldest community college in California, founded 1910; part of the State Center Community College District), and California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) (5241 N. Maple Avenue - ~25,000 students) serve Fresno students. K-12 teachers are covered by Cal. Education Code sections 44930-44987 (tenure, dismissal, Skelly hearings); CSU faculty are covered by the CSU collective bargaining agreement (CFA contract). Retail workers populate the Fashion Fair Mall and River Park Shopping Center. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474). Public-sector workers serve the City of Fresno (charter city, Strong Mayor / Mayor-Council since January 1997), the Fresno Police Department (POBR / Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.), the Fresno Fire Department, Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), and Fresno County government.

Fresno Worker Protections

Fresno has no separate citywide minimum-wage, hotel-worker, fair-workweek, healthcare-worker, or paid-sick-leave ordinance beyond California state law. Fresno is a charter city with a Strong Mayor / Mayor-Council form of government (effective January 1997 after the 1993 voter-approved charter amendment). Fresno 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 CRMC, Clovis Community, and Saint Agnes Medical Center workers), and AB 1066 (farmworker overtime - directly relevant to Fresno County's massive agricultural workforce as one of the top US ag-producing counties).

• California minimum wage (2026) - $16.90/hour for most employers, effective January 1, 2026 (California Labor Code section 1182.12).
• Fast-food minimum wage - $20.00/hour for covered fast-food restaurant employees at chains with 60 or more national locations, effective April 1, 2024 (AB 1228, California Labor Code section 1474 et seq.).
• Healthcare worker minimum wage - SB 525 (California Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16) reaches $25/hour at large hospital systems on July 1, 2026.
• AB 701 Warehouse Quotas Act - California Labor Code sections 2100 et seq., effective January 1, 2022.
• California Paid Sick Leave - California Labor Code sections 245-249. At least 40 hours (5 days) per year of paid sick leave, effective January 1, 2024.
• Exempt salary floor (2026) - $70,304/year for executive, administrative, and professional exempt classifications (twice the state minimum wage at $16.90/hour).
• Cal-WARN Act - California Labor Code sections 1400 et seq. 60 days' advance written notice required for plant closures or mass layoffs of 50 or more employees.
• AB 1066 farmworker overtime (Cal. Labor Code section 857) - Fresno County's massive agricultural workforce (one of the top US ag-producing counties at over $7.7 billion annually) is entitled to daily/weekly overtime at the 8/40 threshold phased in by 2022.
• Community Health System $31.5M settlement precedent - on May 14, 2025, Community Health System (which operates CRMC and Clovis Community Medical Center) agreed to a $31.5 million federal settlement with the U.S. Attorney's Office resolving alleged kickback schemes, illustrating active False Claims Act enforcement at Fresno hospitals.
• Poultry antitrust $398M settlement - Foster Farms and other major poultry processors are part of a $398 million antitrust settlement (Cohen Milstein-led litigation against Agri Stats), directly relevant to Fresno-area food-processing workers.
• Public-employer government-claim deadline - Cal. Government Code section 911.2. Claims against the City of Fresno, the Fresno Unified School District (FUSD), the Central Unified School District, the Sanger Unified School District, Fresno City College and the State Center Community College District (SCCCD), California State University Fresno, and the County of Fresno must be presented in writing within 6 months of the accrual of the cause of action.

California Law That Applies in Fresno

Most Fresno employment cases are decided under California state law, which is among the strongest worker-protection regimes in the country. The statutes below cover the issues that come up in almost every case.

• FEHA, Cal. Government Code section 12940 et seq. Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in employment. Covers race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age (40+), sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, medical condition, mental and physical disability, military and veteran status, genetic information, and pregnancy.
• Overtime and breaks, California Labor Code sections 510, 226.7, 512. Daily overtime above 8 hours and weekly overtime above 40 hours at 1.5x; double time after 12 hours in a day or after 8 hours on the 7th consecutive workday. Meal-period premium of one hour of pay if the employer fails to provide a duty-free 30-minute meal period; rest-period premium of one hour of pay if the employer fails to authorize a 10-minute rest period for every 4 hours worked.
• Wage statements and waiting-time penalties, California Labor Code sections 226 and 203. Itemized pay stubs are required; missing or inaccurate stubs trigger statutory penalties. Final wages must be paid at termination (or within 72 hours of resignation without notice); waiting-time penalties run up to 30 days of pay if the employer fails.
• Whistleblower retaliation, California Labor Code section 1102.5. Employees who report a reasonable belief of legal violation, internally or to a government agency, are protected. Lawson v. PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc. (2022) 12 Cal.5th 703 clarified the burden-shifting framework. SB 497 (effective January 1, 2024) added a 90-day rebuttable presumption of retaliation when adverse action follows protected activity within that window.
• Wrongful termination in violation of public policy - Tameny v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (1980) 27 Cal.3d 167. A worker fired for refusing to commit an illegal act, for asserting a statutory right, or for reporting illegal conduct can sue in tort.
• Hostile work environment - Jones v. The Lodge at Torrey Pines Partnership (2008) 42 Cal.4th 1158. Severe or pervasive harassment based on a protected trait creates an actionable hostile work environment. Individual supervisors can be personally liable for harassment.
• California Equal Pay Act, California Labor Code section 1197.5. Equal pay for substantially similar work, regardless of sex, race, or ethnicity. Salary-history bans and pay-scale-disclosure rules apply. SB 642 (effective January 1, 2026) broadened the definition of "wages."
• Lactation accommodation, California Labor Code sections 1030-1034 and the federal PUMP Act, 29 U.S.C. section 218d. Reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space.
• California WARN Act, California Labor Code sections 1400 et seq. Employers with 75 or more employees must give 60 days' advance written notice of a mass layoff (50 or more employees in any 30-day period), plant closing, or relocation. Workers fired without proper notice can recover up to 60 days of back pay and benefits. SB 617 (effective January 1, 2026) expanded the required notice content.
• Independent-contractor classification, California Labor Code section 2775. The ABC test (origin: Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court (2018) 4 Cal.5th 903; codified by AB 5 and recodified by AB 2257 in Labor Code sections 2775-2787).
• AB 701 Warehouse Quotas Act, California Labor Code sections 2100 et seq. Requires written quota disclosure, prohibits quotas that prevent meal/rest/bathroom compliance, and protects workers who report unsafe quotas.
• Cal/OSHA whistleblower, California Labor Code section 6310. Protects employees who report unsafe working conditions or workplace-safety hazards from retaliation.
• Healthcare worker minimum wage, California Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16 (SB 525). Phased schedules for covered healthcare facilities; rates reach $25/hour at large hospital systems on July 1, 2026.
• Fast-food restaurant minimum wage, California Labor Code section 1474 (AB 1228). $20.00/hour for covered fast-food restaurant employees at chains with 60 or more national locations, effective April 1, 2024.
• Non-competes void, California Business and Professions Code section 16600. Reinforced by SB 699 and AB 1076 (both effective January 1, 2024).
• 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). Prohibits non-disclosure and non-disparagement clauses that prevent workers from discussing unlawful workplace conduct.
• Hospital-worker whistleblower, California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5. $25,000-per-violation civil penalty for retaliation against hospital workers who raise patient-safety, regulatory-compliance, or quality-of-care concerns.
• PAGA, California Labor Code sections 2698 et seq. Private Attorneys General Act. AB 2288 and SB 92 (effective July 1, 2024) reformed standing and cure provisions.
• Government-claim deadline, Cal. Government Code section 911.2. Claims against a public entity must be presented within 6 months. After a claim is rejected, Cal. Government Code section 945.6 gives 6 months to file suit.

The 2026 exempt-salary threshold is $70,304/year (twice the state minimum wage at $16.90/hour, per DIR News 2025-118). A Fresno 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 Fresno

Where and how you file depends on the kind of claim and who the employer is. The wrong filing or a missed deadline can permanently bar your case. Call us before any deadline at 1-800-371-3088 and we will handle the filing for you.

Court

Civil employment lawsuits filed by Fresno workers are heard at the Fresno County Superior Court, B.F. Sisk Courthouse, 1130 O Street, Fresno, CA 93721. Federal employment cases are filed in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, Fresno Division, Robert E. Coyle United States Courthouse, 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA 93721.

State and federal agencies

• California Civil Rights Department (CRD), Fresno Office - 1277 East Alluvial Avenue, Suite 101, Fresno, CA 93720. Statewide intake (800) 884-1684.
• U.S. EEOC Fresno Local Office - Robert E. Coyle United States Courthouse, 2500 Tulare Street, Suite 4150, Fresno, CA 93721.
• California Labor Commissioner (DLSE) Fresno Office - 770 East Shaw Avenue, Suite 222, Fresno, CA 93710.
• Cal/OSHA - statewide complaint line (833) 579-0927. Unsafe-working-conditions complaints and whistleblower complaints under Labor Code section 6310.
• City of Fresno - 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93721. For any claim against the City of Fresno, FUSD, Fresno City College/SCCCD, CSU Fresno, or the County of Fresno, a written government claim must be presented under Cal. Government Code section 911.2 within 6 months.
• Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) - for unfair labor practice charges under the Agricultural Labor Relations Act (Cal. Labor Code section 1140 et seq.), critical for Fresno County's grape, almond, pistachio, citrus, and tomato farmworker population.
• NLRB Region 32 (Oakland) / sub-Region (Fresno) - for private-sector union and concerted-activity charges under the National Labor Relations Act.

Deadlines that matter most

• 6-month government-claim deadline - Cal. Government Code section 911.2. Applies to any claim against the City of Fresno, the Fresno Unified School District (FUSD), the Central Unified School District, the Sanger Unified School District, Fresno City College and the State Center Community College District (SCCCD), California State University Fresno, and the County of Fresno, or any other Fresno-area public employer.
• 1-year right-to-sue deadline - once CRD issues a right-to-sue notice, Cal. Government Code section 12965 gives 1 year to file the lawsuit.
• 300-day EEOC charge deadline - federal Title VII, ADA, and ADEA charges in California (deferral state) must be filed within 300 days of the discriminatory act.
• 3-year wage-claim statute - most unpaid-wage claims under California Labor Code sections 200 et seq. and 1194 et seq. carry a 3-year statute, extendable to 4 under California's Unfair Competition Law (Bus. & Prof. Code section 17200) when applicable.
• 2-year statute for Tameny wrongful termination.
• 3-year statute for Labor Code section 1102.5 whistleblower retaliation.

Why Fresno Workers Choose Eghbali Law Firm

• Employees only

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

• No fee unless we win

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• Free confidential consultation

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• Statewide California practice

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

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• Multilingual staff available

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