Wage and Hour Lawyer in Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita wage-and-hour disputes are dominated by three patterns: theme-park off-the-clock and meal-break violations (Hamilton v. Magic Mountain, consolidated lead case No. 20CV366750 (originally LASC No. 19STCV33422); Barajas v. Magic Mountain, April 2023), hospital CBA-arbitration waiver of statutory wage claims (Vasserman v. Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital (2017) 8 Cal.App.5th 236), and credit-union/financial-services wage class actions (McDonald v. Logix Federal Credit Union, LASC No. 24STCV16050, settled December 2025 for $911,656 gross). The city/unincorporated minimum-wage split is the dominant local twist. Call us at 1-800-371-3088.

What Are Wage and Hour Claims in Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita 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. Santa Clarita 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.

Santa Clarita Industries Where Wage and Hour Violations Are Most Common

• Theme-park and entertainment workers at Six Flags Magic Mountain - at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia - the largest employer in the Santa Clarita Valley with 3,000 employees per SCVEDC. Theme-park workers are covered by IWC Wage Order 10 (amusement and recreation), Cal. Labor Code section 226.7 (meal/rest breaks), section 510 (overtime), and FEHA. Many seasonal workers face Cal-WARN seasonal layoff issues at the end of each operating season. A work permit may be required for associates under the age of 18 per California Education Code section 49100 et seq.
• Healthcare workers at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital - at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital - 1,695 employees per SCVEDC. Covered by SB 525 healthcare-worker minimum-wage schedule (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16), California Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation), and CNA / SEIU-UHW / NUHW collective bargaining agreements.
• Community college workers at College of the Canyons - at College of the Canyons in Valencia (1,629 employees per SCVEDC). Community-college employees are covered by HEERA (Cal. Gov. Code sections 3560-3599) for management/excluded employees or EERA for faculty and classified staff, Cal. Education Code sections 87600-87683 (faculty tenure and dismissal), PEPRA, and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.
• Cruise and hospitality workers at Princess Cruises HQ - at the Princess Cruises Santa Clarita Valley headquarters - a major employer and Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) subsidiary. Corporate cruise-line employees are covered by California FEHA / Labor Code; shipboard maritime workers covered by the federal Jones Act (46 U.S.C. section 30104), the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (33 U.S.C. section 901 et seq.), and 46 U.S.C. section 2114 (seamen's whistleblower protections). Public-company Carnival employees (NYSE: CCL) are protected by Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) and Dodd-Frank section 922.
• K-12 education workers at the William S. Hart Union High School District - at the William S. Hart Union High School District and Saugus Union School District. Covered by California Education Code sections 44930-44987, the Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA / Cal. Gov. Code sections 3540-3549.3), Cal. Education Code section 44113 (school-employee whistleblower protections), and CTA-affiliated collective bargaining agreements. PEPRA and the 6-month government-claim deadline apply.
• Arts and education workers at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) - at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia - one of the country's leading creative arts universities (founded by Walt Disney; a private nonprofit). Faculty and staff covered by California FEHA / Labor Code, Title IX (20 U.S.C. section 1681), and federal whistleblower protections. Many alumni populate the LA-area animation and entertainment industries.
• City of Santa Clarita government and public-safety workers - at the City of Santa Clarita (general-law city). The City of Santa Clarita contracts with the LA County Sheriff's Department for police services. Public employees by PEPRA, MMBA (Cal. Gov. Code sections 3500-3511), and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline (Gov. Code section 911.2).
• Retail, restaurant, and consumer-services workers - at the Westfield Valencia Town Center, along the I-5 freeway corridor and McBean Parkway, and at chain retailers throughout Santa Clarita. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474). Retail workers covered by IWC Wage Order 7 (mercantile industry).

Santa Clarita Local Protections

Santa Clarita has no separate citywide minimum-wage, hotel-worker, fair-workweek, or paid-sick-leave ordinance beyond California state law. Santa Clarita is a general-law city. Santa Clarita workers rely on the state-level minimum-wage floor (Cal. 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 - directly relevant to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital workers), and IWC Wage Order 10 (amusement and recreation - directly relevant to Six Flags Magic Mountain's 3,000 workers).

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 Santa Clarita

Wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE Van Nuys Office, 6150 Van Nuys Boulevard, Room 100, Van Nuys, CA 91401). Civil suits are heard at the Los Angeles County Superior Court - Michael Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse, 42011 4th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534 (North District; nearest courthouse to Santa Clarita). Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.