Ventura County Employment Lawyers

Why Ventura County Employees Need an Employment Lawyer

Ventura County's three biggest industry pillars - Amgen biotech, federal Navy/aerospace, and agriculture - each layer multiple federal protections on top of California FEHA. Amgen has filed at least 11 California WARN Act layoff notices between May 2009 and May 2023 covering 3,061+ employees laid off in California (per WARN Tracker), including a November 2024 California WARN notice at its Thousand Oaks campus. Amgen is publicly traded and covered by Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) and Dodd-Frank whistleblower protections, plus the California Equal Pay Act (Labor Code section 1197.5) and SB 1162 pay-transparency rules. Naval Base Ventura County civilian employees use the federal MSPB / EEOC federal-sector process (45-day deadline). Oxnard, Santa Paula, and Fillmore agricultural workers face AB 1066 ag-overtime, Cal/OSHA outdoor heat-illness, and FEHA national-origin protections. We represent employees only. All other claims against public entities (e.g., breach of contract) must be presented within 1 year under Government Code section 911.2. No fee unless we win.

Common Employment Law Violations Across Ventura County

• Amgen WARN Act and layoff-related claims - Amgen filed a California WARN Act notice on Nov 14, 2024 for layoffs at its Thousand Oaks campus (Amgen HQ: One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320). Amgen has filed at least 11 California WARN Act layoff notices between May 2009 and May 2023, with 3,061+ employees laid off in California (per WARN Tracker); broader multi-state filings span CA/MA/WA. California WARN (Labor Code sections 1400-1408) requires 60-day notice for mass layoffs of 50+ at a single facility - damages up to 60 days back pay and benefits.
• Amgen Equal Pay Act and Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower - Amgen is publicly traded (NASDAQ: AMGN) and is covered by Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) and Dodd-Frank (15 U.S.C. section 78u-6) whistleblower protections, plus FDA whistleblower (21 U.S.C. section 399d), the California Equal Pay Act, and SB 1162 pay-transparency rules.
• Naval Base Ventura County (Port Hueneme + Point Mugu) - civilian federal employees use the MSPB / EEOC federal-sector process (45-day EEO counselor deadline). Defense Contractor Whistleblower Protection Act (10 U.S.C. section 4701) covers contractor employees with a 3-year SOL.
• Oxnard, Santa Paula, Fillmore agricultural overtime & harassment - AB 1066 (fully phased in for all sizes Jan 1, 2025), Cal/OSHA heat-illness, and FEHA national-origin / English-only rules under Government Code section 12951. Strawberry-, lemon-, and avocado-growing operations face recurring sexual-harassment and wage class actions.
• Haas Automation (Oxnard) wage-and-hour - one of the world's largest CNC machine-tool builders; California Equal Pay Act and white-collar exemption misclassification claims are common.
• Ventura County Medical Center / Ventura County Public Health - public-sector employees with Skelly rights, MOU grievance procedures, Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5, FEHA, and Government Claims Act 6-month notice protections.
• Cal Lutheran University, CSU Channel Islands - private and public university employers; CSU Channel Islands employees have full Government Claims Act protections.

Sources: UC Berkeley Labor Center · CA DIR · California Civil Rights Department

Ventura County Worker Protections by Industry

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

Largest Ventura County employers

• Amgen Inc. (Thousand Oaks HQ) - Ventura County's largest private-sector employer per VC Star reporting; publicly-traded biotech; SOX section 806 (180 days to OSHA); Dodd-Frank section 922; FDA Whistleblower (21 U.S.C. section 399d); California Equal Pay Act (Labor Code section 1197.5); SB 1162 pay transparency; in 2025 Amgen announced a $600 million research facility expansion at its Thousand Oaks HQ
• Naval Base Ventura County (Point Mugu & Port Hueneme) - major Navy installation with approximately 19,000+ personnel across Point Mugu, Port Hueneme, and San Nicolas Island (active duty, civilian employees, reservists, and contractors per Navy Region Southwest); the single largest employer in Ventura County; federal civilian employees use the federal MSPB / EEOC process (45-day EEO counselor deadline); DoD contractors under 10 U.S.C. section 4701; other federal contractors under 41 U.S.C. section 4712
• Adventist Health Simi Valley - regional hospital; section 1278.5; SB 525
• St. John's Regional Medical Center (Oxnard) / St. John's Hospital Camarillo (renamed from St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital effective July 6, 2021 per Dignity Health press release) (Dignity Health) - regional hospitals; section 1278.5; SB 525
• Community Memorial Health System (Ventura) - regional hospital; section 1278.5; SB 525
• County of Ventura - large public-sector employer; Skelly pre-discipline rights, MOU grievance procedures, 6-month Government Claims Act notice (Gov't Code section 911.2), FEHA, Labor Code section 1102.5
• CSU Channel Islands (Camarillo) - CSU campus; FEHA + Title IX + Government Claims Act 6-month notice
• Oxnard Union HSD / Ventura Unified / Conejo Valley Unified school districts - large public-sector K-12 employers; Government Claims Act 6-month notice, FEHA, Title VII, Title IX, Labor Code section 1102.5
• Haas Automation (Oxnard) - major regional manufacturer (machine tools); Labor Code sections 510, 226.7, 512; Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310
• Ventura County agriculture (strawberries, lemons, avocados, raspberries) - major ag sector; AB 1066 farmworker overtime; ALRA

Local wage rules

Ventura County follows the California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026. No city or county in Ventura is on the UC Berkeley Labor Center 2026 inventory of separate local minimum-wage ordinances. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn $20.00/hour under AB 1228 (Labor Code section 1474+). Healthcare workers at covered facilities earn the SB 525 tiered minimum wage ($18-$23/hour depending on facility type). Sources: UC Berkeley Labor Center · CA DIR

Industry-specific protections

• Biotech / publicly-traded employers (Amgen Thousand Oaks) - SOX section 806 (180 days to OSHA); Dodd-Frank section 922; FDA Whistleblower (21 U.S.C. section 399d); SB 1162 pay transparency; California Equal Pay Act
• Federal civilian and federal contractor employees (Naval Base Ventura County: Point Mugu / Port Hueneme) - federal-sector MSPB / EEOC process; DCWPA (10 U.S.C. section 4701 / 41 U.S.C. section 4712)
• Hospital workers (Adventist Health Simi Valley, St. John's Oxnard/Camarillo, Community Memorial, Ventura County Medical Center) - Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5; SB 525 healthcare-worker minimum wage
• Manufacturing workers (Haas Automation, other Oxnard/Camarillo manufacturers) - Labor Code sections 510, 226.7, 512; Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310 anti-retaliation
• Agricultural workers (Oxnard Plain strawberries, lemons, avocados) - AB 1066 farmworker overtime (Labor Code sections 857-864); Cal/OSHA outdoor heat-illness (8 CCR section 3395); Labor Code sections 1682-1699 (Farm Labor Contractor Law); ALRA
• Public-sector workers (County, cities, school districts, CSUCI) - Skelly + 6-month Government Claims Act notice (Gov't Code section 911.2)
• California WARN Act (Labor Code sections 1400-1408) - applies to employers with 75 or more employees; requires 60 days' written notice for mass layoffs of 50 or more employees in any 30-day period; up to 60 days back-pay damages
• All workers - FEHA, Title VII, EFAA, PWFA, CFRA, PDL, Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310, Labor Code section 1102.5 whistleblower (civil penalty up to $10,000 per violation)

How to File an Employment Claim in Ventura County

Ventura County Superior Court says general civil cases are heard at the Ventura Courthouse / Hall of Justice, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009. The court's Civil page lists the Civil Unit contact number as (805) 289-8525 and states clerk's office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Ventura Civil Division | Ventura court locations

For discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other California civil-rights claims, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) says employment complaints generally must be started within 3 years of the last harmful act, and workers can begin the process online through the California Civil Rights System (CCRS), or by mail, email, phone, or in person. CRD complaint process

For unpaid wages, overtime, meal and rest breaks, sick leave, reimbursements, and other wage-theft issues, the California Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE) explains that wage claims can be filed online, by email, by mail, or in person, and the filing windows generally range from 1 to 4 years depending on the type of claim. DLSE wage-claim process

Government Resources for Ventura County Workers

Why Ventura 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.