Safeway wage and hour record at a glance
Safeway appears in 16 concluded Wage and Hour Division investigations in California, closed between Feb 24, 2007 and Jul 28, 2022. All of them found violations, 118 in all, and the employer agreed to pay $6,078 in back wages to 3 workers, plus $44,711 in civil money penalties. Of the back wages, $1,370 was unpaid overtime and $788 unpaid minimum wage under the federal standard. The largest single case closed Jul 28, 2022 in Menlo Park with $3,920 for 1 workers. 20 minors were involved in child labor findings. That places the employer at #7,202 of 23,910 California employers in the database by back wages. The same employer has 39 WARN layoff notices on file with the EDD.
Industry as coded by the Division: Supermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores; Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers. Laws involved: FMLA, child labor, FLSA.
Every case, newest first
| Case closed | Period investigated | City | Findings | Back wages | Workers paid | Penalties | Laws |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 2022 | Jun 2022 to Jul 2022 | Menlo Park | 3 violations | $3,920 | 1 | 0 | FMLA |
| Feb 18, 2021 | Feb 2019 to Feb 2021 | Manteca | 2 violations | 0 | 0 | $7,456 | child labor |
| Nov 25, 2015 | Sep 2015 to Nov 2015 | Pleasanton | 2 violations | $1,058 | 1 | 0 | FLSA |
| Apr 28, 2014 | Apr 2012 to Apr 2014 | Pleasanton | 85 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FMLA |
| Oct 15, 2012 | Oct 2010 to Oct 2012 | Vallejo | 1 violation | 0 | 0 | $3,100 | child labor |
| Aug 30, 2012 | Mar 2012 to Aug 2012 | Tracy | 2 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FMLA |
| Jun 12, 2012 | Jun 2010 to Jun 2012 | San Leandro | 1 violation | 0 | 0 | 0 | FMLA |
| Jun 19, 2010 | May 2010 to Jun 2010 | Pleasanton | 2 violations | $1,100 | 1 | 0 | FLSA |
| Apr 19, 2008 | Apr 2006 to Apr 2008 | San Francisco | 2 violations | 0 | 0 | $3,960 | child labor |
| Apr 10, 2008 | Sep 2006 to Apr 2008 | Redding | 4 violations | 0 | 0 | $7,920 | child labor |
| Mar 16, 2008 | Mar 2006 to Mar 2008 | Pleasant Hill | 4 violations | 0 | 0 | $7,920 | child labor |
| Feb 20, 2008 | Feb 2006 to Feb 2008 | Santa Rosa | 1 violation | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jan 30, 2008 | Jan 2006 to Jan 2008 | San Jose | 5 violations | 0 | 0 | $9,900 | child labor |
| Jan 7, 2008 | Nov 2007 to Jan 2008 | Tracy | 2 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FMLA |
| Feb 25, 2007 | Apr 2006 to Feb 2007 | Anderson | 1 violation | 0 | 0 | $2,475 | child labor |
| Feb 24, 2007 | Apr 2006 to Feb 2007 | Redding | 1 violation | 0 | 0 | $1,980 | child labor |
Also filed as: Safeway, Inc.; Safeway, INC; Safeway Inc.; Safeway, Inc; Albertson Companies.
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 Safeway
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.