Wage Hour Lawyer in Ontario

If you experienced wage theft at an Ontario 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 Ontario

Ontario 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. Ontario has no separate citywide minimum-wage ordinance; the California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour 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 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.

Ontario Industries Where Wage and Hour Violations Are Most Common

• Aviation, airport, and air-cargo workers - at Ontario International Airport / ONT (2900 East Airport Drive, Ontario, CA 91761 - 30,000+ jobs, owned by the Ontario International Airport Authority / OIAA, a joint-powers authority of the City of Ontario and County of San Bernardino). Direct OIAA employees are public-sector workers subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline (Cal. Gov. Code section 911.2). ONT hosts major air-cargo operations by UPS, FedEx, and Amazon Air plus passenger airlines (Southwest, Delta, American, United, Frontier, Spirit, Alaska, China Airlines). Airline workers are covered by the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. section 151 et seq.) for collective bargaining and AIR21 (49 U.S.C. section 42121) whistleblower protection. Ground-handling and ramp workers are typically W-2 employees of contractors (Menzies, Worldwide Flight Services, etc.) covered by California Labor Code and FEHA.
• Warehouse, logistics, and distribution workers - at the major distribution centers along the I-10 / I-15 corridor in Ontario, including UPS, Uline Inc., Amazon, FedEx, and dozens of third-party logistics companies identified in the City's Ontario Thinks Business booklet. Covered by California's Warehouse Quotas Act, AB 701 (Cal. Labor Code sections 2100-2112), which requires written quota disclosure, prohibits quotas that interfere with meal, rest, or bathroom use, and provides a private right of action. Client-employer liability under California Labor Code section 2810.3 makes brand-name retailers and logistics companies jointly responsible for staffing-agency and subcontractor wage violations. Truck drivers are covered by federal STAA whistleblower protection (49 U.S.C. section 31105).
• Retail and entertainment workers - at the Ontario Mills super-regional outlet mall (1 Mills Circle - 28 million annual visitors, the only indoor outlet shopping destination in Southern California, owned by Simon Property Group), AMC 30 Theatres at Ontario Mills, Toyota Arena (formerly Citizens Business Bank Arena), and the Ontario Convention Center (2000 East Convention Center Way). Common claims: wage and hour (off-the-clock and rounding violations under Cal. Labor Code sections 226.7, 510, 512), commission disputes (Cal. Labor Code section 2751), and sexual harassment under FEHA (Cal. Gov. Code section 12940(j)). Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474).
• Healthcare workers - at the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) Ontario medical offices and Kaiser Permanente Ontario Vineyard Medical Center, plus private clinics, urgent-care centers, and skilled-nursing facilities. Covered by SB 525 healthcare worker minimum-wage schedule (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16), California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation), and California Nurses Association (CNA) / SEIU-UHW collective bargaining agreements (which do not waive statutory FEHA or California Labor Code rights).
• Education workers - at the Ontario-Montclair School District / OMSD (K-8) and the Chaffey Joint Union High School District / CJUHSD (211 West Fifth Street, Ontario, CA 91762, (909) 988-8511 - 9-12 district with approximately 2,015 staff, serves Ontario, Montclair, Rancho Cucamonga, and portions of Fontana, Upland, Chino, and Mount Baldy). Protected by Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal.3d 194 due-process rights, California Whistleblower Protection Act (Cal. Gov. Code section 8547), and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.
• Government and public-sector workers - at the City of Ontario (303 East B Street), Ontario Police Department (Ontario operates its own police department), Ontario Fire Department, and the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). Peace officers are covered by the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR, Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.). Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.

Ontario Local Protections

Ontario has no separate citywide minimum-wage, hotel-worker, fair-workweek, healthcare-worker, or paid-sick-leave ordinance beyond California state law. Ontario workers rely on the state-level floor under California Labor Code section 1182.12 ($16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026) plus industry-specific state rules including AB 1228 ($20/hour fast-food), SB 525 (healthcare-worker tiered schedule), and AB 701 (warehouse quotas - directly relevant to Ontario's massive I-10 / I-15 warehouse corridor and ONT air-cargo operations).

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. The 2026 exempt-salary floor is $70,304/year (twice the state minimum wage, per DIR News 2025-118).

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 Ontario

Wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE San Bernardino Office, 464 West 4th Street, Suite 348, San Bernardino, CA 92401). Civil suits are heard at the San Bernardino County Superior Court, San Bernardino Justice Center, 247 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.