Merced County Employment Lawyers

Why Merced 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 Merced County

• Foster Farms Cal/OSHA COVID-safety citation - $181,500 (2021) - Cal/OSHA proposed $181,500 in combined penalties against Foster Farms for COVID-19 worker-protection failures ($103,100 against the Livingston plant for five serious, one repeat regulatory, and two regulatory violations, plus $78,400 against the Livingston distribution center and affiliated staffing agencies). (Source: Cal/OSHA news release 2021-54, May 24, 2021.) The penalty was originally for and failing to report a workplace fatality within the 8-hour deadline. One of the steepest Cal/OSHA citations during the pandemic. The Livingston plant had 400+ worker infections and at least 9 COVID-related worker deaths at the Livingston plant. (Source: Fresno Bee)
• UFW v. Foster Farms - federal-court COVID-safety injunction (2020) - United Farm Workers sued Foster Farms in federal court alleging "naked disregard" of Merced County COVID-19 safety rules. A federal judge ordered Foster Farms to comply with 20 specific safety requirements at the Livingston plant - face masks, staggering, ventilation, sick leave. (Source: KQED)
• Foster Farms also separately cited $3.8M for SB 95 COVID supplemental sick-leave failures - 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 poultry plants including Livingston (Merced County). (Source: California DIR News)

Merced County Worker Protections by Industry

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

Largest Merced County employers

• UC Merced - public university; FEHA + Title IX + Title VII + UC Whistleblower Protection Policy + Government Claims Act 6-month notice
• Foster Farms (Livingston plant) - poultry processor; defendant in $181,500 Cal/OSHA COVID-safety citation (2021); subject of UFW federal-court lawsuit after at least 9 worker COVID-related deaths at the Livingston plant (16 deaths total across all Foster Farms California facilities) and 400+ infections
• Mercy Medical Center Merced (Dignity Health) - section 1278.5 hospital-whistleblower; religious-affiliated nonprofit
• Castle Commerce Center / former Castle Air Force Base (Atwater) - multi-tenant industrial park; federal-civilian and contractor protections
• County of Merced - public-sector; Skelly + 6-month Government Claims Act
• Merced City School District / Merced Union High School District - public-sector + education-code due process
• Agricultural employers (almonds, dairy, processing tomatoes, sweet potatoes) - AB 1066 overtime parity; Cal/OSHA outdoor heat-illness; ALRA jurisdiction; Labor Code section 1171.5 immigration-status protections

Local wage rules

Merced County follows the California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026. Merced County has no county-wide local ordinance and no Merced city is on the UC Berkeley Labor Center 2026 inventory. Agricultural workers are protected by AB 1066 overtime parity (1.5×/2×) phased in by employer size. Fast-food workers earn $20.00/hour under AB 1228. Sources: UC Berkeley Labor Center · CA DIR

Industry-specific protections

• UC Merced workers - UC Whistleblower Protection Policy (UCOP Policy 1100563, available at policy.ucop.edu/doc/1100563) + Title IX + Title VII + Government Claims Act 6-month notice
• Agricultural / food-processing workers - AB 1066 overtime parity (Labor Code sections 857-864); Cal/OSHA outdoor heat-illness (8 CCR section 3395); Labor Code sections 1682-1699 (Farm Labor Contractor Law); Agricultural Labor Relations Act (Labor Code section 1140+); Labor Code section 1171.5 immigration-status irrelevance
• Foster Farms / poultry workers - Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310 anti-retaliation; SB 95 / SB 114 COVID supplemental paid sick leave; OSHA whistleblower (29 U.S.C. section 660(c))
• Hospital workers (Mercy Merced) - Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5
• Former Castle AFB workers / federal civilian - federal-sector EEOC 45-day deadline; MSPB; WPEA
• Public-sector workers - 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 Merced County

Civil employment cases brought by Merced County workers are heard at the Merced County Superior Court - New Courthouse, 2260 N Street, Merced, CA 95340. 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 Merced County Workers

Why Merced 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.