Orange County wage and hour
Orange County Wage and Hour Lawyer
Missed breaks, unpaid overtime, or tip theft in Orange County? We show what your employer owes, using 2026 rates.
This page covers wage and hour for Orange County employees. For the statewide rules see California wage and hour, and for other Orange County claims see the Orange County hub.
Your Deadline Is Already Running
Most wage claims reach back three years, four under the UCL.
See the full deadline table.
Orange County Pay Rates in 2026, the Short Version
Category 2026 figure State minimum, every OC city $16.90 per hour Fast food, 60 or more national locations $20.00 per hour Healthcare under SB 525 $19.28 to $25.00 by tier Anaheim resort living wage, Measure L covered employers Higher; rate adjusts annually Exempt salary floor $70,304 per year
Figures refresh January 1 and July 1.
The Wage Violations Built Into OC'S Biggest Industries
Theme park and hotel. Pre shift security lines and costume changes off the clock, split shifts, and tip pooling rules at resort restaurants.
Fast food. AB 1228 $20 rate dodges and manager title misclassification at franchise locations.
Food production and warehouse in Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Fullerton: piece rate, donning, and outdoor heat recovery breaks.
Healthcare. Missed meal breaks on understaffed floors, per diem travel time, SB 525 tier confusion, and the AB 692 ban on nurse training repayment demands.
Calculate Your Number
Run the numbers first: break penalty calculator, overtime calculator, waiting time calculator.
Wage Claim or Lawsuit? Your Two OC Paths
A Labor Commissioner wage claim at the Santa Ana DLSE office, or a civil action. For a company wide practice, class or PAGA treatment may fit, using post reform numbers.
Retaliation for Asking About Pay Is Its Own Claim
Labor Code 98.6 protects wage complaints, with a 90 day rebuttable presumption under SB 497. See retaliation.
Find Out Where You Stand
Three questions and a phone number. An attorney reads every one, and you hear back within one business day.
Orange County Wage and Hour FAQ
Does the $20 Fast Food Wage Cover My Anaheim Franchise Job?
If your chain has 60 or more national locations, yes. Send us a pay stub.
My OC hotel pools tips with managers. Legal?
No. Agents, meaning anyone with hiring or firing power, cannot share in a tip pool under Labor Code 351.
I wait 20 minutes in a security line before clocking in. Is that paid time?
Yes. That is compensable time.
What If Everyone at My Company Is Shorted the Same Way?
That is the aggregation logic of class and PAGA claims. See class action and PAGA.
Employment Law Resources
- California Labor Commissioner, minimum wage, overtime, and wage claims: dir.ca.gov/dlse
- Labor Code section 351, tips are employee property: leginfo
- Labor Code section 226.7, meal and rest premiums: leginfo
- City of Anaheim, Measure L living wage ordinance: anaheim.net
Tell Us What Happened
One business day for a response. You pay nothing unless we win.