Kings County, California

Kings County Employment Lawyers

Q: Does Kings County have its own minimum wage?

No. Kings County follows California state minimum wage - $16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026. Kings County has no separate county-wide ordinance and no Kings city is on the UC Berkeley Labor Center 2026 inventory.

Q: What law applies when a CDCR officer at Avenal or Corcoran State Prison is retaliated against for reporting officer misconduct?

Government Code section 8547+ (California Whistleblower Protection Act for state employees) and Labor Code section 1102.5 (3-year statute, contributing-factor standard, civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation) protect the officer. CDCR's personnel rules and the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act (POBR, Government Code section 3300+) provide additional procedural protections. Skelly pre-discipline rights apply. As state employees, CDCR officers must give written tort-claim notice under the Government Claims Act within 6 months for personal-injury, wrongful-death, and personal-property claims, or 1 year for all other claims (Government Code section 911.2) under the Government Claims Act for tort-based claims.

Q: What can a Lemoore Foster Farms worker who didn't receive COVID supplemental paid sick leave recover?

SB 95 / SB 114 required up to 80 hours of supplemental paid sick leave during the COVID-19 pandemic. The California Labor Commissioner cited Foster Farms $3.8 million for failing to provide this leave at multiple plants - see DIR News. Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310 protects affected workers from retaliation.

Q: What law applies when a Kings County dairy worker is not paid overtime?

AB 1066 (Labor Code sections 857-864) phases in agricultural overtime parity (1.5×/2×) - large employers (26+) since January 1, 2022; small employers (≤25) since January 1, 2025. Labor Code section 1194 allows recovery of unpaid wages plus interest and attorneys' fees (3-year statute). Cal/OSHA outdoor heat-illness (8 CCR section 3395) also applies.

California employment-law representation for Kings County workers in all cities and unincorporated areas. Free, confidential consultation. We represent employees only - never employers.

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Kings County (~152,000 residents across 4 cities - Hanford, Lemoore, Corcoran, Avenal) is anchored by Naval Air Station Lemoore (700 Avenger Avenue - the largest U.S. Navy Master Jet Base on the West Coast; thousands of military and civilian personnel), Adventist Health Hanford / Adventist Medical Center, the County of Kings, Marquez Brothers International (Hanford - Mexican food products wholesale), Netto AG Inc. (Hanford - custom farm services), and significant corrections (Avenal State Prison, Substance Abuse Treatment Facility / Corcoran State Prison) and dairy/agricultural employers. Kings County follows the California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026 - no county-wide local ordinance. Civil employment cases are heard at the Kings County Superior Court Hanford Government Center. Free, confidential consultation. We represent employees only.

Why Kings County Employees Need an Employment Lawyer

Strict deadlines apply to every employment claim: CRD (California Civil Rights Department) requires an administrative complaint within 3 years of the violation and a civil suit within 1 year of the right-to-sue notice; EEOC charges must be filed within 300 days; the Government Claims Act requires presentation of personal-injury, wrongful-death, and personal-property tort claims against public entities within 6 months (Government Code section 911.2); all other claims must be presented within 1 year. California does not cap FEHA emotional-distress or punitive damages - but you must protect the deadlines first. We file the claim, handle the agency or court process, and recover what you're owed. No fee unless we win.

Common Employment Law Violations Across Kings County

Statewide Foster Farms COVID-safety pattern - $181,500 Cal/OSHA citation - Foster Farms operates a Lemoore (Kings County) plant. The 2021 Cal/OSHA $181,500 citation against Foster Farms (Livingston, Merced County) for COVID-safety violations establishes the statewide enforcement pattern applicable to Kings County poultry and food-processing employers. (Source: Fresno Bee)
Statewide Foster Farms $3.8M COVID supplemental paid sick leave citation - Cal/OSHA / California Labor Commissioner separately cited Foster Farms $3.8 million for failure to provide COVID supplemental paid sick leave (SB 95 / SB 114) across multiple plants - relevant to Kings County food-processing workers. (Source: California DIR News)
Statewide California Labor Commissioner $6M ag settlement (Alco Harvesting / Santa Maria) - February 2026 enforcement action allocated $4.2M to farmworkers and $1.5M for paid sick leave + minimum-wage violations - establishes statewide enforcement framework applicable to Kings County ag employers. (Source: California DIR News)

Kings County Worker Protections by Industry

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

Largest Kings County employers

Naval Air Station Lemoore (700 Avenger Ave., Lemoore) - U.S. Navy Master Jet Base; federal-civilian and military employees; federal-sector EEOC 45-day deadline; MSPB; WPEA; USERRA reemployment rights
Adventist Health Hanford / Adventist Medical Center - section 1278.5 hospital-whistleblower; religious-affiliated nonprofit
Avenal State Prison and Substance Abuse Treatment Facility / Corcoran State Prison (CDCR) - state correctional public-sector; CDCR personnel rules + Skelly + Government Code section 8547+ state-employee whistleblower
Marquez Brothers International (Hanford) - Mexican-food products wholesale; Cal/OSHA + section 226 wage statements
Netto AG Inc. (Hanford) - custom farm services / harvesting; Labor Code sections 1682-1699 (Farm Labor Contractor Law); AB 1066; ALRA
County of Kings, Hanford Joint Union HSD, Lemoore Union HSD - public-sector; Skelly + 6-month Government Claims Act
Kings County dairy / cattle / cotton employers - AB 1066 ag overtime parity; Cal/OSHA outdoor heat-illness; ALRA

Local wage rules

Kings County follows the California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026. Kings County has no county-wide local ordinance and no Kings city is on the UC Berkeley Labor Center 2026 inventory. Federal-civilian NAS Lemoore workers are paid under the federal General Schedule (GS) pay system, not the California minimum wage. Sources: UC Berkeley Labor Center · CA DIR

Industry-specific protections

NAS Lemoore federal-civilian workers - federal-sector EEOC (45-day counselor + 15-day formal complaint), MSPB, Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (5 U.S.C. section 2302), USERRA (38 U.S.C. section 4301+) reemployment rights for service-member workers
CDCR / state correctional workers - Skelly + Government Code section 8547+ state-employee whistleblower; CDCR personnel rules
Hospital workers (Adventist Hanford) - Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5; religious-affiliated employer (Title VII ministerial exception applies to clergy roles only)
Agricultural / dairy / cotton / food-processing workers - AB 1066 overtime parity; Cal/OSHA outdoor heat-illness; Labor Code sections 1682-1699 (Farm Labor Contractor Law); ALRA; SB 95/SB 114 supplemental paid sick leave
Public-sector workers (County, cities, school districts) - Skelly + 6-month Government Claims Act
All workers - FEHA, Title VII, EFAA, PWFA, CFRA, PDL, Labor Code section 1102.5, Cal/OSHA section 6310

How to File an Employment Claim in Kings County

Civil employment cases brought by Kings County workers are heard at the Kings County Superior Court - Hanford Government Center, 1426 South Drive, Hanford, CA 93230. Most California employment claims are filed first as administrative complaints with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) before they can be filed as civil lawsuits.

Deadlines: CRD: 3 years to file an administrative complaint and 1 year to sue after right-to-sue; EEOC: 300 days; Government Claims Act (public employees): 6 months; Labor Code section 1102.5 / Tameny / FEHA civil action: 3 years; Labor Code section 510/226/1194 wage claims: 3-4 years; PAGA: 1 year (preceded by LWDA notice).

Government Resources for Kings County Workers

Kings County Superior Court - Hanford Government Center

1426 South Drive, Hanford, CA 93230

California Civil Rights Department (CRD)

651 Bannon Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95811 (Sacramento Regional Office) - or file online at calcivilrights.ca.gov; statewide phone (800) 884-1684

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

EEOC Fresno Local Office, 2500 Tulare Street, Suite 2601, Fresno, CA 93721 (serves Kings County); phone 1-800-669-4000

California Labor Commissioner (DLSE / DIR)

www.dir.ca.gov/dlse for wage claims, AB 701 warehouse-quotas claims, and retaliation complaints

Cal/OSHA

www.dir.ca.gov/dosh for workplace-safety and section 6310 anti-retaliation reports

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

www.dol.gov/agencies/whd for FLSA, FMLA, and federal wage-and-hour claims

Why Kings 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are employment lawsuits heard for Kings County workers? +

Civil employment cases brought by Kings County workers are heard at the Kings County Superior Court - Hanford Government Center, 1426 South Drive, Hanford, CA 93230.

Does Kings County have its own minimum wage? +

No. Kings County follows California state minimum wage - $16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026. Kings County has no separate county-wide ordinance and no Kings city is on the UC Berkeley Labor Center 2026 inventory.

What process applies to a federal-civilian NAS Lemoore worker retaliated against? +

Federal-sector workers must contact an EEO Counselor within 45 days of the alleged discriminatory or retaliatory action and file a formal complaint within 15 days of the final-counseling notice (29 C.F.R. section 1614.105). The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (5 U.S.C. section 2302) protects disclosures to the OSC. MSPB jurisdiction applies to adverse actions.

What law applies when a CDCR officer at Avenal or Corcoran State Prison is retaliated against for reporting officer misconduct? +

Government Code section 8547+ (California Whistleblower Protection Act for state employees) and Labor Code section 1102.5 (3-year statute, contributing-factor standard, civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation) protect the officer. CDCR's personnel rules and the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act (POBR, Government Code section 3300+) provide additional procedural protections. Skelly pre-discipline rights apply. As state employees, CDCR officers must give written tort-claim notice under the Government Claims Act within 6 months for personal-injury, wrongful-death, and personal-property claims, or 1 year for all other claims (Government Code section 911.2) under the Government Claims Act for tort-based claims.

What can a Lemoore Foster Farms worker who didn't receive COVID supplemental paid sick leave recover? +

SB 95 / SB 114 required up to 80 hours of supplemental paid sick leave during the COVID-19 pandemic. The California Labor Commissioner cited Foster Farms $3.8 million for failing to provide this leave at multiple plants - see DIR News. Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310 protects affected workers from retaliation.

What law applies when a Kings County dairy worker is not paid overtime? +

AB 1066 (Labor Code sections 857-864) phases in agricultural overtime parity (1.5×/2×) - large employers (26+) since January 1, 2022; small employers (≤25) since January 1, 2025. Labor Code section 1194 allows recovery of unpaid wages plus interest and attorneys' fees (3-year statute). Cal/OSHA outdoor heat-illness (8 CCR section 3395) also applies.

Free Confidential Consultation for Kings County Workers

If you experienced employment violations in Kings County, contact Eghbali Law Firm. Free, confidential consultation. 1-800-371-3088. We represent employees only - never employers. No fee unless we win.

Request A Free Consultation (800) 371-3088

Legal Disclaimer: This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Employment law is complex and fact-specific. The information on this page reflects California law as of 2026 and may change. If you believe your rights have been violated, please consult a licensed California employment attorney to evaluate your specific situation.