Wage and Hour Lawyer in Lancaster

If you experienced wage theft at a Lancaster 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 Lancaster

Lancaster 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. Lancaster has no separate citywide minimum-wage ordinance; the state floor 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 (including Antelope Valley Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente Antelope Valley) 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.

Lancaster Industries Where Wage and Hour Violations Are Most Common

• Warehouse and distribution workers - at Rite Aid Distribution, Michaels Stores Distribution, Sygma, Lance Camper, and Morton Manufacturing. Common claims: off-the-clock work, missed meal/rest breaks tied to unsafe quotas (AB 701, California Labor Code sections 2100 et seq.), and Labor Code section 226 wage-statement violations.
• Healthcare workers - at Antelope Valley Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente Antelope Valley. Common claims: missed meal/rest breaks during high-acuity shifts (Labor Code sections 226.7 and 512), unpaid overtime, and SB 525 minimum-wage shortfalls.
• Aerospace and defense workers - at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, NASA Armstrong, and Edwards Air Force Base. Common claims: exempt-misclassification (the 2026 exempt-salary floor is $70,304/year), unpaid overtime for non-exempt engineers and technicians, and donning-and-doffing time.
• Restaurant, retail, and fast-food workers - across Lancaster. Fast-food chains with 60+ national locations are subject to the $20/hour AB 1228 floor. Tip-pooling violations are common (Labor Code section 351; SB 648 effective January 1, 2026 strengthens tip protections).
• Public-sector workers - at the City of Lancaster, AVUHSD, Lancaster SD, and Antelope Valley College. Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline (Cal. Government Code section 911.2).

Lancaster Local Protections

Lancaster has no separate citywide minimum-wage, paid-sick-leave, or fair-workweek ordinance. The California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour applies as of January 1, 2026. 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. AB 701 (California Labor Code sections 2100 et seq.) governs warehouse quotas at Lancaster's Rite Aid, Michaels, and Sygma distribution operations. SB 525 (California Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16) sets the healthcare-worker minimum wage at Antelope Valley Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente Antelope Valley.

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 Lancaster

Wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE), Van Nuys Office, 6150 Van Nuys Boulevard, Room 206, Van Nuys, CA 91401, phone (818) 901-5315. Civil suits are heard at the Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse, 42011 4th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534 (the North District of the Los Angeles County Superior Court). Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.

Public records for Lancaster employers

Before you file, look up the employer. The U.S. Department of Labor has closed 102 wage and hour investigations of Lancaster employers since 2004; 76 found violations, and employers agreed to pay $2,275,529 in back wages to 634 workers, the latest case closing December 2024. The largest back-wage record in Lancaster belongs to A & Z Trucking ($1,242,230). Across Los Angeles County the record runs to 10,609 cases and $153,040,852. Every case in the California wage theft tracker is a federal file; it does not include Labor Commissioner claims, so a clean record there is not a clean record. Federal back wages are computed at $7.25 an hour and weekly overtime; the California numbers for the same hours are usually several times higher.