San Mateo County Employment Lawyers

Why San Mateo 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 San Mateo County

• Oracle gender pay-gap settlement - $25M (Jewett v. Oracle, No. 17-CIV-02669) - Oracle agreed to pay $25 million to settle Jewett v. Oracle, No. 17-CIV-02669 (San Mateo Sup. Ct.; final approval October 7, 2024) - class of ~4,000 women in Product Development, Support, and IT roles since June 2013, alleging systemic underpayment under the California Equal Pay Act (Labor Code section 1197.5). (Source: SFGate)
• Oracle commission-wage PAGA settlement - $15.5M - Oracle settled a decade-long PAGA action over its sales-commission structure - alleged violations of Labor Code section 200+ (wages), section 226 (wage statements), and section 2802 (expense reimbursement). (Source: HR Dive)

San Mateo County Worker Protections by Industry

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

Largest San Mateo County employers

• Genentech (South San Francisco HQ) - biotech, ~12,000 employees (post-2024-25 reductions; 2024 3% workforce cut + multiple 2025 SSF layoff rounds per Biospace / SF Chronicle / FierceBiotech); defendant in *Galu v. Genentech, Inc.* California Labor Code overtime/misclassification class settlement; subject of October 2025 WARN Act investigation (Strauss Borrelli)
• Oracle Corporation (Redwood Shores) - software; defendant in $25M gender pay-gap settlement (2024) and $15.5M commission-wage PAGA settlement (California Labor Code section 200+)
• Visa Inc. (Foster City) - publicly traded payments processor; SOX section 806 + Dodd-Frank section 922 whistleblower coverage
• Gilead Sciences (Foster City) - publicly traded biotech; SOX + FDA Whistleblower (21 U.S.C. section 399d)
• Kaiser Permanente - Redwood City Medical Center, South San Francisco - Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 protections; covered by 2022 *Stewart v. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, S.F. Sup. Ct. CGC-21-590966* $11.5M settlement (S.F. Sup. Ct.)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO) - federal contractors, ground handlers, TSA contractors - Surface Transportation Assistance Act section 31105 + AIR21 section 42121 anti-retaliation
• County of San Mateo - public-sector - Skelly pre-discipline rights + 6-month Government Claims Act notice
• Stanford Health Care (Stanford-affiliated facilities in San Mateo County) - section 1278.5 + Title IX + UC/Stanford whistleblower procedures

Local wage rules

San Mateo County and city minimum-wage ordinances (effective January 1, 2026, per UC Berkeley Labor Center 2026 inventory):
• San Mateo County (unincorporated): $17.95/hr
• City of San Mateo: $18.60/hr
• Belmont: $18.95/hr
• Burlingame: $17.86/hr
• Daly City: $17.50/hr
• Half Moon Bay: $17.91/hr
• Redwood City: $18.65/hr
• San Carlos: $17.75/hr
• South San Francisco: $18.15/hr (eff. 1/1/2026 per SSFMC Chapter 8.71)
• Foster City: $17.85/hr
• East Palo Alto: $17.90/hr
• Menlo Park: $17.55/hr
All rates exceed California's $16.90 state minimum. Sources: UC Berkeley Labor Center · CA DIR

Industry-specific protections

• Biotech / publicly-traded employers (Genentech, Gilead, Visa, Oracle) - Sarbanes-Oxley section 806 (180 days to OSHA), Dodd-Frank section 922 (CFTC/SEC anti-retaliation + bounty awards), FDA Whistleblower (21 U.S.C. section 399d for FDA-regulated entities)
• Hospital workers (Kaiser Redwood City, Stanford, Mills-Peninsula) - Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 (reinstatement, back pay, attorneys' fees, civil penalty up to $25,000)
• SFO airport workers (federal contractors, ground handlers, TSA contractors) - Surface Transportation Assistance Act section 31105 + AIR21 section 42121 federal anti-retaliation; Federal Aviation Administration whistleblower protections
• Public-sector workers (County, cities, school districts) - Skelly pre-discipline procedural rights + 6-month Government Claims Act tort-claim notice
• All workers - FEHA (Government Code section 12940+) covers companies with 5+ employees (1+ for harassment); Title VII; EFAA (Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault & Sexual Harassment Act); PWFA; CFRA; PDL; Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310 (anti-retaliation up to $10,000 civil penalty)
• Labor Code section 1102.5 whistleblower (3-year statute, contributing-factor standard, civil penalty up to $10,000 per violation)

How to File an Employment Claim in San Mateo County

Civil employment cases brought by San Mateo County workers are heard at the San Mateo County Superior Court - Hall of Justice and Records (Southern Branch), 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063. 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 San Mateo County Workers

Why San Mateo 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.