San Francisco Employment Lawyers

Labor Law PC represents employees only, never employers. We are headquartered in Santa Monica with a second office in Palo Alto serving the Bay Area, and we represent San Francisco workers in layoff, discrimination, harassment, equity, and wage disputes, with consultations and casework handled remotely. The consultation is free and confidential, and we charge no fees until we win. Call (877) 775-2267. Hablamos Español.

Employment Problems We See in San Francisco Workplaces

• Tech layoffs done badly. Mass layoffs that shortchange notice obligations under the federal WARN Act and the broader California WARN Act, reductions in force that skew against older workers, employees on protected leave, or those who recently complained, and severance packages that undervalue equity and vested benefits.
• Equity and compensation disputes. Disagreements over vesting, bonuses, and commission plans when an employee is terminated just before a payout or liquidity event.
• Finance and professional services discrimination. Pay and promotion disparities, pregnancy and caregiver discrimination, and retaliation against employees who raise compliance concerns.
• Service and hospitality violations. Hotels, restaurants, and retail in a high-cost city where paying only the state minimum wage can itself violate the local ordinance, plus missed breaks, unstable scheduling at covered chains, and tip issues.
• Contractor misclassification. Gig platforms and startups labeling workers independent contractors who fail California's ABC test.

California Law and San Francisco Courts

Employment cases arising in San Francisco are generally filed in the San Francisco Superior Court, and federal claims in the Northern District of California, which sits in the city. Administrative claims go to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) or the Labor Commissioner, and violations of local ordinances can be raised with the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement.

The state framework applies with full force: FEHA prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation at employers with 5 or more employees, with no federal-style damages caps. The Labor Code requires daily overtime after 8 hours, meal and rest break premiums, timely final pay, and reimbursement of business expenses, which matters for remote and hybrid workers. Labor Code section 1102.5 protects whistleblowers, and PAGA adds civil penalties. San Francisco's local ordinances then stack on top, often giving city workers rights their colleagues a few miles away do not have. Which rates and thresholds apply changes over time, so we confirm current ordinance terms for every case rather than guessing.

Southern California Headquarters, Bay Area Presence

Labor Law PC is headquartered in Santa Monica, and our Palo Alto office anchors our Bay Area work. Most of our San Francisco clients never need to visit either one: consultations, meetings, depositions, and mediations happen by video, and we appear in San Francisco courts when the case calls for it. You get a statewide plaintiffs' firm that negotiates against the same tech and finance employment defense firms year round.

¿Qué ocurre después de llamar?

1. Free case evaluation. Layoff paperwork, a harassment complaint HR buried, a commission that vanished: tell us the facts.
2. Investigation. Offer letters, equity grants, performance records, Slack and email trails, and pay data.
3. Filing. CRD, Labor Commissioner, OLSE, or San Francisco Superior Court, wherever your claims belong.
4. Resolution. Negotiation, mediation, or trial, prepared for trial from the start.

Sin honorarios hasta que ganemos

Free consultation, all case costs advanced, and our fee is a percentage of what we recover. No recovery means you owe nothing.

San Francisco Employment Law FAQs

• I was laid off with dozens of coworkers and got almost no notice. Is that legal?

  Possibly not. The California WARN Act requires covered employers to give 60 days' notice of mass layoffs and applies more broadly than the federal version. Short notice can mean back pay and penalties for every affected worker.

• My severance offer releases all claims for a few weeks of pay. Is that normal?

  It is common, and it is negotiable. Before signing, you should know what claims you are releasing, what your unvested equity is worth, and whether the layoff itself was lawful. We review and negotiate severance agreements regularly.

• Does San Francisco really have its own employment laws?

  Yes. The city enforces local requirements on minimum wage, paid sick leave, fair chance hiring, and more, beyond state law. The specifics change periodically, so have a lawyer confirm what applies to your employer and dates.

• Your firm is based in Los Angeles. Why hire you for a San Francisco case?

  Because California employment law is statewide and our practice is built around remote representation, with a Palo Alto office for the Bay Area. You should pick counsel by track record against employers, not by zip code.

Áreas de práctica relacionadas

• Wrongful Termination: layoffs and firings that break the law.
• WARN Act Violations: mass layoffs without required notice.
• Discrimination: age, gender, pregnancy, disability, and more.
• Severance Agreements: review and negotiation before you sign.

Serving San Francisco and the Bay Area

Labor Law PC represents workers in San Francisco, Daly City, South San Francisco, Oakland, and communities throughout the Bay Area from our Palo Alto office, as part of our statewide California practice.

Solicita una evaluación gratuita y confidencial de tu caso

Before you sign a release or accept a layoff at face value, find out what your claims are worth. Call (877) 775-2267 or request your free case evaluation online. Hablamos Español. No fees until we win.