Long Beach Employment Lawyer

Why Long Beach Workers Need a Lawyer Who Knows the Local Industries

Long Beach is a port city, a hotel city, a healthcare city, and an aerospace city, and each of those industries has its own pattern of employment-law violations. Long Beach also adds city-specific rules for hotels, airport concessions, and the convention center that go beyond California state law. Hotel workers at properties of 100 rooms or more have a separate minimum wage, hotel housekeepers in 50-plus-room properties have panic-button and workload protections, and concessionaires at the Long Beach Airport and Long Beach Convention Center have their own living wage. None of those protections matter if you do not assert them on time. Some claims have deadlines as short as 60 days, public-employer claims (LBUSD, Long Beach City College, City of Long Beach, the Port of Long Beach (Harbor Department)) carry a strict 6-month government-claim deadline under Cal. Government Code section 911.2, and most workers never file because they do not know which deadline applies. We file the claim, take it through the agency or court, and recover what you are owed. No fee unless we win.

Long Beach Industries Where Employment Violations Are Common

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

Port and logistics

Roughly one in five Long Beach jobs is supported by trade through the Port (Port of Long Beach Economic Impact Study, 2017). Dockworkers, terminal operators, port truckers, and warehouse staff working the harbor footprint share a workforce with the Port of Los Angeles. Pregnancy discrimination has been a documented issue at the ports: the ACLU filed federal charges against the Pacific Maritime Association and ILWU on behalf of pregnant dockworkers, alleging the seniority-and-rotation system blocked women from work after pregnancy. Port truckers face a different problem: misclassification as independent contractors. In Alvarez v. XPO Logistics Cartage, LLC, C.D. Cal. No. 2:18-cv-03736-RGK-E, and the related Arrellano v. XPO Logistics Port Services, LLC, C.D. Cal. No. 2:18-cv-08220, XPO paid roughly $30 million in October 2021 to settle wage claims from California port drivers. The ABC test of California Labor Code section 2775 (origin: Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court (2018) 4 Cal.5th 903) controls whether a trucker is an employee or a contractor, and almost every traditional port-trucking arrangement fails it.

Hospitality and hotels

The largest hotel in Long Beach is the 528-room Hyatt Regency Long Beach next to the Convention Center. In October 2023 the California Labor Commissioner cited Hyatt Regency Long Beach $4,799,563.84 for failing to timely offer positions to 25 laid-off workers under the COVID-era Right of Recall law (DIR News 2023-76, Oct. 17, 2023). Long Beach hotel workers also have ordinance-level protections that other California workers do not: Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 5.49 (originally Ord. ORD-18-0028, the "Housekeepers' Bill of Rights") requires panic buttons for solo room-service workers and caps room-cleaner workloads in hotels of 50 rooms or more. Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 5.48 (Measure RW, adopted by voters March 5, 2024) sets the hotel-worker minimum wage at $25.00/hour as of July 1, 2025, scheduled to rise to $26.50/hour on July 1, 2026, $28.00/hour on July 1, 2027, and $29.50/hour on July 1, 2028, in hotels of 100 rooms or more.

Healthcare

MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, Community Hospital Long Beach (operated by Molina, Wu, Network since 2021, with services transitioning toward wellness and mental health), and the network of clinics serving the city employ thousands of nurses, technicians, support staff, and clerical workers. Long Beach passed a city-level $25/hour healthcare-worker minimum wage in August 2022 (covered employees in qualifying facilities), and California's SB 525 sets a separate statewide schedule under California Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, and 1182.16. The combination of city and state schedules means a Long Beach healthcare worker may have multiple wage floors that apply at the same time. Healthcare workers also bring routine FEHA claims for pregnancy accommodation, lactation accommodation under Labor Code sections 1030-1034 and the federal PUMP Act, 29 U.S.C. section 218d, and disability accommodation.

Caregiving and in-home services

South Bay caregiving, including the Filipino caregiver workforce that lives and works in Long Beach, runs through agencies that frequently misclassify workers. In February 2025 the California Labor Commissioner cited Amity In-Home Care Services and its owner $2,327,257 for misclassifying caregivers as independent contractors and committing wage theft (DIR News 2025-20, Feb. 20, 2025). It was the first AB 594 enforcement action by the agency. Caregiver wage claims under California Labor Code sections 510 (overtime), 226.7 (meal and rest), 226 (wage statements), and 203 (waiting-time penalties) are common.

Aerospace and manufacturing

Boeing closed its C-17 Globemaster III final-assembly facility in Long Beach in November 2015. The current aerospace footprint is smaller but still active: Gulfstream and other operators run maintenance and corporate aviation out of Long Beach Airport, and Boeing continues to issue layoff notices that touch Long Beach. In November 2024, Boeing filed a Cal-WARN notice covering 115 Long Beach workers with a January 2025 layoff date as part of a broader 10 percent companywide reduction. Mass-layoff cases turn on the California WARN Act, California Labor Code sections 1400 et seq., which requires 60 days' written notice for covered employers. SB 617 (effective Jan. 1, 2026) expanded what an employer must include in the notice. Workers laid off without proper notice can recover up to 60 days of back pay and benefits. Older workers cut at higher rates than younger workers in the same RIF can also bring disparate-impact age claims under FEHA, Cal. Government Code section 12940.

Retail, restaurants, offices, and other workplaces

Outside the five industries above, we represent workers across all Long Beach workplaces: retail, restaurants, offices, schools, gig and rideshare, and any other job covered by California or Long Beach law. The same statutory framework applies; the facts change.

Long Beach Worker Protections

Long Beach has city-specific worker protections that go beyond California state law. The state minimum wage is $16.90/hour as of January 1, 2026; the rates below apply on top of (or in place of) that floor for covered Long Beach workers.

• Hotel Worker Minimum Wage - Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 5.48 (Measure RW, adopted March 5, 2024). Covers hotels with 100 or more guest rooms. Schedule: $25.00/hour from July 1, 2025; $26.50/hour from July 1, 2026; $28.00/hour from July 1, 2027; $29.50/hour from July 1, 2028.
• Hotel Worker Working Conditions - Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 5.49 (originally Ord. ORD-18-0028, the "Housekeepers' Bill of Rights"). Covers hotels with 50 or more guest rooms. Personal panic buttons for room cleaners working alone, workload caps, and anti-retaliation protection.
• Concessionaire Living Wage and Sick Days - Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 16.60, as amended by Ord. ORD-25-0008. Covers concessionaire workers at Long Beach Airport and the Long Beach Convention Center. Wage schedule mirrors the hotel rates: $25/hour from July 1, 2025; $26.50/hour from July 1, 2026; $28/hour from July 1, 2027; $29.50/hour from July 1, 2028.
• Healthcare Worker Minimum Wage - Long Beach city ordinance (passed August 2022) sets a $25/hour floor for covered employees at qualifying healthcare facilities in the city. California's SB 525 (California Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16) sets a separate statewide healthcare wage schedule that varies by facility category. A Long Beach healthcare worker may be covered by both; the higher rate controls.
• California Paid Sick Leave - under California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act, employers must provide at least 5 days or 40 hours of paid sick leave per year (Labor Code sections 245-249). Long Beach does not add a separate citywide sick-leave ordinance for non-healthcare workers; the state floor applies.

Long Beach has no separate citywide minimum wage for general (non-hotel, non-concessionaire, non-healthcare) workers. The California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour applies to all other Long Beach jobs as of January 1, 2026.

California Law That Applies in Long Beach

Most Long Beach 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. The framework was clarified in Lawson v. PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc. (2022) 12 Cal.5th 703: the employee proves protected activity contributed to the adverse action, and the burden shifts to the employer to prove by clear and convincing evidence it would have taken the same action anyway. SB 497 (effective Jan. 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.
• 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, plant closing, or relocation. Workers fired without proper notice can recover up to 60 days of back pay and benefits. SB 617 (effective Jan. 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). A worker is presumed to be an employee unless the hiring entity proves all three prongs.
• Healthcare worker minimum wage, California Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16 (SB 525). Phased schedules for covered healthcare facilities; rates vary by category.
• Fast-food restaurant minimum wage, California Labor Code section 1474 (AB 1228). $20.00/hour for covered fast-food restaurant employees as of April 1, 2024. Enforcement runs through the Fast Food Council under the DIR.
• PAGA, California Labor Code sections 2698 et seq. Private Attorneys General Act allows aggrieved employees to bring representative actions for Labor Code violations. AB 2288 and SB 92 (effective July 1, 2024) reformed standing and cure provisions.
• Government-claim deadline, Cal. Government Code section 911.2. Claims for personal injury, death, or property damage against a public entity (City of Long Beach, LBUSD, Long Beach City College, the Port of Long Beach) must be presented within 6 months. Other causes carry a 1-year claim deadline. After a claim is rejected, Cal. Government Code section 945.6 gives 6 months to file suit.
• California Whistleblower Protection Act, Cal. Government Code section 8547 et seq. A separate state-employee whistleblower track that runs through the State Auditor and the State Personnel Board. Most relevant to state employees who happen to live or work in Long Beach.

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

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 Long Beach workers are heard at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse, 275 Magnolia Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802. The Deukmejian Courthouse is the South District (Long Beach Branch) of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. General information: (562) 256-3100. Clerk's Office hours Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

State and federal agencies

• California Civil Rights Department (CRD), Los Angeles Office - 320 W. 4th Street, Suite 1000, 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Statewide intake (800) 884-1684. Charges of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under FEHA. Long Beach workers file through the CRD's Los Angeles regional office.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Los Angeles District Office - Roybal Federal Building, 255 East Temple Street, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012. (213) 785-3090; national intake 1-800-669-4000. Federal Title VII, ADA, ADEA, and Equal Pay Act charges.
• California Labor Commissioner (DLSE), Long Beach Bureau of Field Enforcement - 1500 Hughes Way, Suite C-202, Long Beach, CA 90810. Wage theft, overtime, meal and rest violations, and retaliation under California Labor Code section 98.6 and section 1102.5.
• California Labor Commissioner (DLSE), Long Beach Wage Claim office - 300 Oceangate, Suite 302, Long Beach, CA 90802. Direct wage-claim filings.
• City of Long Beach, Office of Labor Standards / Wage Theft Enforcement - longbeach.gov. Complaints under the hotel-worker, concessionaire, and healthcare-worker ordinances.
• U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Long Beach Field Office - 501 W. Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90802. Federal FLSA and FMLA enforcement.

Deadlines that matter most

• 6-month government-claim deadline - Cal. Government Code section 911.2. Applies to any claim against the City of Long Beach, LBUSD, Long Beach City College, the Port of Long Beach, or any other Long Beach 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.

Why Long Beach 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.