Pomona Employment Law Attorneys

California FEHA discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims are filed with the Civil Rights Department, with Los Angeles operations at 320 West 4th Street and online intake at calcivilrights.ca.gov. Federal Title VII, ADA, and ADEA charges go to the EEOC's Los Angeles District Office at the Roybal Federal Building, 255 East Temple Street. CRD complaints have a three-year filing deadline under Gov Code § 12960, with an additional year after a right-to-sue notice to file suit; EEOC charges must be filed within 300 days. Civil employment lawsuits for Pomona workers are filed in LA County Superior Court at Pomona Courthouse South, 400 Civic Center Plaza.

Likely yes. Labor Code § 512 requires a 30-minute uninterrupted, duty-free meal period before the end of the fifth hour and a second meal period for shifts over ten hours. Labor Code § 226.7 owes you one hour of pay at your regular rate for each workday a compliant meal or rest period is denied. Hospital meal-period waivers are narrow. Pattern interruptions, on-call status during meals, or implicit pressure to clock out and return early support break-premium claims, wage-statement penalties under § 226, and PAGA penalties under § 2698. If you have also raised patient-safety concerns, Health & Safety Code § 1278.5 and Labor Code § 1102.5 add whistleblower protection.

The California State University Whistleblower Protection Act (Gov Code § 8547 et seq.) protects CSU employees from retaliation for disclosing improper governmental activity, including Title IX failures, misuse of funds, and falsification of records. Labor Code § 1102.5 applies in parallel and is broader, protecting reports of any suspected legal violation to a supervisor or government agency. FEHA retaliation under Gov Code § 12940(h) protects employees who oppose or report discrimination, harassment, or accommodation failures. CSU has its own internal complaint, investigation, and Skelly disciplinary procedures, and exhaustion and timing rules matter, so consult counsel familiar with public-employee processes early to avoid losing rights.

California Labor Code § 510 and the IWC Wage Orders require overtime to be calculated at 1.5x or 2x the 'regular rate of pay,' which includes most non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials, and production incentives. When employers exclude these from the regular rate, every overtime hour is underpaid. Off-the-clock minutes for PPE, sanitation, and security walks compound the problem. Recovery includes back wages, liquidated damages under Labor Code § 1194.2, waiting-time penalties under § 203, and PAGA penalties under § 2698.

FEHA, Gov Code § 12940(j), prohibits race and national-origin harassment in the workplace, and employers are strictly liable for harassment by supervisors and liable for co-worker harassment they knew or should have known about. Title VII applies in parallel. Severe or pervasive verbal slurs can create a hostile work environment without any physical conduct, and in some cases even a single sufficiently severe incident is actionable. Document every incident with dates, witnesses, and the exact words used, and report in writing through HR and any anonymous hotline. If HR or management fails to take prompt and effective corrective action, that failure itself supports the harassment claim and may support a separate retaliation claim under § 12940(h).

Generally only with justification. Gov Code § 12951 prohibits California employers from limiting or prohibiting use of any language in the workplace unless the policy is justified by a true business necessity, is narrowly tailored to that necessity, and is accompanied by notice to employees of the rule and the consequences for violating it. English-only rules applied to break time, lunch rooms, restroom areas, or off-duty communication are particularly suspect. Combined with national-origin discrimination under § 12940(a) and Title VII, these rules often expose employers to FEHA liability for discrimination, harassment, and retaliation against workers who challenge the rule or use their native language in unsanctioned ways.

Pomona is part of LA County but is not within the City of Los Angeles, so the LA City minimum wage and Fair Work Week ordinance do not apply. Workers in unincorporated LA County are covered by the LA County minimum wage and other county ordinances. Within Pomona city limits, the California state minimum wage under Labor Code § 1182.12 applies, along with statewide paid sick leave under § 246. Federal contractors and certain healthcare and hospitality employers may have additional minimum-wage obligations under separate state or federal rules.

FEHA discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims must be filed with the CRD within three years of the unlawful act under Gov Code § 12960, with an additional year after the right-to-sue notice to file suit. EEOC charges must be filed within 300 days. Most Labor Code wage claims have three years, extending to four years under the Unfair Competition Law. Labor Code § 1102.5 whistleblower claims are typically three years. Public-sector exhaustion and Skelly procedures add internal steps and can have shorter time limits, so consult counsel promptly.