Fresno County Employment Lawyers

Why Fresno County Employees Need an Employment Lawyer

Fresno County's $8+ billion agricultural economy generates a constant stream of farmworker wage-and-hour, AB 1066 ag-overtime, Cal/OSHA heat-illness, and FEHA national-origin discrimination cases. The federal court in Fresno (Robert E. Coyle Federal Courthouse) hears major California Department of Labor (DOL) wage-and-hour enforcement cases - most recently a federal court order against a California-based agriculture employer requiring back wages and penalties (January 2026). The CRD's high-profile Grimmway Farms case (federal court ruling September 2025) confirmed FEHA's interactive-process requirement for farmworkers with disabilities - a precedent that protects Fresno County's massive farm workforce. We represent employees only - never employers - and we know the AB 1066, ALRB, FEHA, Government Code section 12951, and federal DOL tactics that work in Fresno Superior Court and the federal courthouse. Strict deadlines apply (CRD: 3 years; EEOC: 300 days; federal DOL FLSA: 2 years, 3 if willful). All other claims against public entities (e.g., breach of contract) must be presented within 1 year under Government Code section 911.2. No fee unless we win.

Common Employment Law Violations Across Fresno County

• Grimmway Farms federal disability-discrimination ruling (September 2025) - the world's largest carrot grower discriminated against farmworkers with disabilities, the federal court held; Grimmway Farms (headquartered in Bakersfield, Kern County) operates throughout the southern San Joaquin Valley with principal operations in Kern, Tulare, and surrounding counties; the September 22, 2025 ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California (Judge Dale A. Drozd, Sacramento; the same federal court whose Fresno division handles San Joaquin Valley cases), applies to ag employers across the Valley.
• AB 1066 farmworker overtime - fully phased in for ag employers of all sizes (Jan 1, 2025); Fresno County almond, grape, peach, citrus, and tomato employers face overtime back-pay class actions.
• Cal/OSHA outdoor heat-illness (8 CCR section 3395) - Fresno's triple-digit summer temperatures make water, shade, and rest-break violations a constant enforcement priority. Cal/OSHA's Fresno District Office handles regional complaints.
• National-origin and English-only rule violations - Fresno County's Latino-majority farmworker and food-processing workforce relies on FEHA (Government Code section 12940) and Government Code section 12951 (English-only rules require business necessity AND written notice). Hmong, Mexican, Punjabi, and Filipino workers all rely on these protections.
• Child farmworker safety - California allows ag work as young as 12 under specific circumstances.
• Community Medical Centers and St. Agnes - hospital wage-and-hour, off-the-clock charting, and Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 patient-safety retaliation cases.
• California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) - CSU campus subject to FEHA, Title VII, Title IX, Equal Pay Act, Gov. Claims Act 6-month notice, and the CSU Whistleblower Protection Policy.
• County of Fresno, Fresno Unified, Clovis Unified - public-sector employers with Skelly rights and Government Claims Act 6-month notice.

Sources: UC Berkeley Labor Center · CA DIR · California Civil Rights Department

Fresno County Worker Protections by Industry

We represent employees across all Fresno County industries. Below are the largest employers and the rules that govern wage, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims in this county.

Largest Fresno County employers

• Community Health System / Community Medical Centers - approximately 10,000 employees plus ~1,600 affiliated physicians per CHS Community Benefit Report (Community Regional Medical Center, Clovis Community Medical Center, Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital); the only Level I Trauma Center between Los Angeles and Sacramento; Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 patient-safety retaliation; SB 525 healthcare-worker minimum wage; FEHA, Title VII, Labor Code section 1102.5 whistleblower
• Fresno Unified School District - thousands of teachers and classified staff serving 74,000 students at 106 schools (third-largest unified school district in California per FUSD HR); Government Claims Act 6-month notice (Gov't Code section 911.2), FEHA, Title VII, Title IX, Labor Code section 1102.5 whistleblower
• California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) - large public-university employer; CSU Whistleblower Protection Policy, FEHA, Title VII, Title IX, Equal Pay Act, Government Claims Act 6-month notice
• County of Fresno - public-sector workforce; Skelly pre-discipline rights, MOU grievance procedures, 6-month Government Claims Act notice, FEHA, Labor Code section 1102.5
• Saint Agnes Medical Center (Trinity Health) - major Fresno hospital; section 1278.5, SB 525, FEHA; faith-based ministerial-exception issues for certain religious-role employees
• Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center - section 1278.5 patient-safety retaliation; SB 525 healthcare-worker minimum wage; FEHA + Labor Code section 1102.5
• Foster Farms (Fresno processing facility) - 1,000-4,999 employees per EDD employer database (Cherry Avenue facility); poultry processing; Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310 anti-retaliation, AB 1066 farmworker overtime, federal DOL Wage & Hour FLSA enforcement; subject of past CARES Act / COVID-retaliation citation enforcement
• Pelco Inc. (Fresno HQ) - Fresno-headquartered security and surveillance technology company; 501-1,000 employees per LinkedIn; publicly-traded parent (Motorola Solutions); Sarbanes-Oxley section 806 + Dodd-Frank section 922 + FEHA + Labor Code section 1102.5
• Cargill (Fresno meat-processing) - major food-processing employer per EDD; Cal/OSHA section 6310 anti-retaliation, federal DOL FLSA, FEHA

Local wage rules

Fresno County follows the California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026. No city in Fresno County is on the UC Berkeley Labor Center 2026 inventory of separate local minimum-wage ordinances - every Fresno County employer pays the state rate (or any higher industry-specific rate that applies). Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn $20.00/hour under AB 1228 (Labor Code section 1474+). Healthcare workers at covered facilities (Community Regional Medical Center, Saint Agnes Medical Center, Kaiser Fresno, Clovis Community Medical Center) earn the SB 525 tiered minimum wage of $18/$21/$23/hour depending on facility type. Sources: UC Berkeley Labor Center · CA DIR

Industry-specific protections

• Hospital workers (Community Regional, Saint Agnes, Kaiser Fresno, Clovis Community) - Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 (civil penalty up to $25,000 + reinstatement and back pay); SB 525 healthcare-worker minimum wage
• Agricultural workers (almond, grape, peach, citrus, tomato, dairy) - AB 1066 farmworker overtime (Labor Code sections 857-864; fully phased in for all employer sizes as of January 1, 2025); Cal/OSHA outdoor heat-illness standard (8 CCR section 3395; mandatory water, shade, rest-break enforcement); FEHA disability accommodation and interactive-process requirements; California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) for collective bargaining and unfair-labor-practice complaints
• Food-processing workers (Foster Farms, Cargill, Ruiz Foods, other Valley processors) - Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310 anti-retaliation; federal DOL FLSA back-wages (2-year statute, 3 if willful); meal/rest breaks (Labor Code section 226.7)
• National-origin and language workers - FEHA (Gov't Code section 12940) and Gov't Code section 12951 (English-only rules presumed unlawful unless documented business necessity AND written notice); covers Hmong, Mexican, Punjabi, Filipino, and other Latino-majority workforces in Fresno County
• University and college employees (CSU Fresno, Fresno City College, Reedley College, State Center CCD) - Skelly + 6-month Government Claims Act notice + FEHA + Title VII + Title IX + Equal Pay Act + CSU Whistleblower Protection Policy
• Public-sector workers (County, Fresno Unified, Clovis Unified, cities) - Skelly pre-discipline rights + 6-month Government Claims Act notice (Gov't Code section 911.2) + PERB jurisdiction
• Publicly-traded / corporate employers (Pelco, Motorola Solutions, large Valley logistics) - Sarbanes-Oxley section 806 (180 days to OSHA); Dodd-Frank section 922; California Equal Pay Act (Labor Code section 1197.5); SB 1162 pay transparency
• California WARN Act (Labor Code sections 1400-1408) - applies to employers with 75 or more employees; requires 60 days' written notice for mass layoffs of 50 or more employees in any 30-day period; up to 60 days back-pay damages
• All workers - FEHA, Title VII, EFAA, PWFA, CFRA, PDL, Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310, Labor Code section 1102.5 whistleblower (civil penalty up to $10,000 per violation)

How to File an Employment Claim in Fresno County

Fresno County's Civil Division lists both limited and unlimited civil filings at 1130 O Street, Fresno, CA 93721-2220, (559) 457-1900,. That is the court location commonly used for civil employment cases in Fresno County. Fresno Civil Division

For discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other California civil-rights claims, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) says employment complaints generally must be started within 3 years of the last harmful act, and workers can begin the process online through the California Civil Rights System (CCRS), or by mail, email, phone, or in person. CRD complaint process

For unpaid wages, overtime, meal and rest breaks, sick leave, reimbursements, and other wage-theft issues, the California Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE) explains that wage claims can be filed online, by email, by mail, or in person, and the filing windows generally range from 1 to 4 years depending on the type of claim. DLSE wage-claim process

Government Resources for Fresno County Workers

Why Fresno County 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.