McDonald's wage and hour record at a glance
McDonald's appears in 35 concluded Wage and Hour Division investigations in California, closed between Sep 30, 2004 and Feb 23, 2022. 14 of them found violations, 470 in all, and the employer agreed to pay $84,667 in back wages to 396 workers, plus $116,463 in civil money penalties. Of the back wages, $80,346 was unpaid overtime and $2,160 unpaid minimum wage under the federal standard. The largest single case closed Mar 5, 2021 in Calexico with $64,399 for 332 workers. The Division flagged 2 cases as repeat or willful. 66 minors were involved in child labor findings. That places the employer at #1,078 of 23,910 California employers in the database by back wages. The same employer has 2 WARN layoff notices on file with the EDD.
Industry as coded by the Division: Limited-Service Restaurants. Laws involved: child labor, FLSA.
Every case, newest first
| Case closed | Period investigated | City | Findings | Back wages | Workers paid | Penalties | Laws |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 2022 | Feb 2020 to Feb 2022 | Saratoga | 9 violations | 0 | 0 | $6,606 | child labor |
| Jun 15, 2021 | Jun 2019 to Jun 2021 | Santa Ana | 18 violations | 0 | 0 | $25,920 | child labor |
| Mar 5, 2021 | Mar 2018 to Mar 2021 | Calexico | 336 violations repeat | $64,399 | 332 | $20,263 | FLSA |
| Mar 3, 2021 | Mar 2019 to Mar 2021 | Hollister | 13 violations | 0 | 0 | $24,232 | child labor |
| Dec 31, 2020 | Jan 2019 to Dec 2020 | Fullerton | 17 violations | $1,013 | 17 | 0 | FLSA |
| Dec 20, 2020 | Dec 2020 to Dec 2020 | Hollister | 3 violations | $2,160 | 3 | 0 | |
| Dec 26, 2019 | Nov 2018 to Dec 2019 | Concord | 8 violations | 0 | 0 | $4,158 | child labor |
| Mar 10, 2019 | Dec 2017 to Mar 2019 | Concord | 3 violations | 0 | 0 | $3,494 | child labor |
| Dec 26, 2017 | May 2017 to Dec 2017 | Monrovia | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dec 26, 2017 | Jun 2017 to Dec 2017 | Arcadia | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dec 21, 2017 | Dec 2015 to Dec 2017 | Glendora | 1 violation | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Dec 15, 2017 | Dec 2015 to Dec 2017 | Lodi | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dec 15, 2017 | Dec 2015 to Dec 2017 | Lodi | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dec 11, 2017 | Dec 2015 to Dec 2017 | Sacramento | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dec 8, 2017 | Jun 2017 to Dec 2017 | Los Angeles | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dec 4, 2017 | Dec 2015 to Dec 2017 | Fresno | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nov 29, 2017 | Oct 2017 to Nov 2017 | Fresno | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nov 29, 2017 | Nov 2015 to Nov 2017 | Stockton | 1 violation | 0 | 0 | 0 | child labor |
| Sep 16, 2015 | Sep 2013 to Sep 2015 | San Diego | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jul 9, 2015 | Jul 2013 to Jul 2015 | Lake Elsinore | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jul 8, 2015 | Jul 2013 to Jul 2015 | Blythe | 2 violations | $2,476 | 1 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jun 26, 2015 | Jun 2013 to Jun 2015 | Temecula | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| May 15, 2012 | May 2010 to May 2012 | Los Angeles | 44 violations repeat | $14,619 | 43 | $18,920 | FLSA |
| Mar 26, 2012 | Mar 2010 to Mar 2012 | San Jose | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jan 27, 2009 | Jan 2007 to Jan 2009 | Concord | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| May 15, 2008 | May 2008 to May 2008 | Cypress | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| May 15, 2008 | May 2008 to May 2008 | Orange | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nov 23, 2007 | Jan 2007 to Nov 2007 | Stockton | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| May 15, 2007 | May 2005 to May 2007 | Los Angeles | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mar 28, 2007 | Mar 2005 to Mar 2007 | Signal Hill | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Apr 5, 2006 | Apr 2004 to Apr 2006 | San Jose | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jul 21, 2005 | Jun 2005 to Jul 2005 | Roseville | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Apr 4, 2005 | Apr 2003 to Apr 2005 | Rancho Cordova | 4 violations | 0 | 0 | $1,980 | child labor |
| Jan 3, 2005 | Jan 2003 to Jan 2005 | San Francisco | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sep 30, 2004 | Oct 2002 to Sep 2004 | Roseville | 11 violations | 0 | 0 | $10,890 | child labor |
Also filed as: Kram Endeavors, Inc.; Charles & Edith Duvall dba McDonald's; Vivere Victual Inc; Kram Endeavors, Inc; R&B Sanchez DBA McDonald's Resturant; Mangione, Inc.; McDonalds of San Joaquin County; Dejon Enterprises; Warmel Corp.; M. Sun Valley, inc.; McDonald's Corporation; R & B Sanchez.
Local pages: Santa Ana employment lawyer.
How to read this record
Each row is one federal investigation. Period investigated is the span of payroll the Division reviewed, usually two years back from the complaint. Back wages is what the employer agreed to pay for that period at the federal rate; penalties went to the government, not to workers.
Back wages computed under the federal law are usually a fraction of the California number for the same hours: the state minimum is $16.90 in 2026, overtime starts after 8 hours in a day, and each missed meal or rest period adds an hour of pay. Workers paid in these cases may still be owed that difference, and the federal release form covers only the federal claim.
Full explainer: what a Labor Department case is, and what it is not.
If you work, or worked, at McDonald's
Pull together your pay stubs and your own record of hours for the last three years, request your pay records in writing (the employer has 21 days under Labor Code 226), and keep any WH-58 receipt from a Labor Department payment. A free review tells you in one call whether the California numbers exceed what was paid, whether break premiums and waiting time penalties apply, and whether anything that happened after you complained counts as retaliation. Call (800) 371-3088 or send your stubs.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division enforcement database, California cases. Record last checked Oct 30, 2026. Back to the wage theft tracker.
About this data: Cases come from the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division enforcement database (WHD compliance actions concluded since fiscal year 2005, California employers only), published by the Department of Labor and reloaded here every month. "Back wages" are amounts the employer agreed to pay at the close of the investigation; "penalties" are civil money penalties assessed. An investigation that found no violation is listed as such. The database does not include California Labor Commissioner cases or private lawsuits. This page is general information, not legal advice about your situation.