$15.0M
Recovery for employees denied legally required meal and rest breaks.
Employment
San Diego, CA Employment Lawyers at Wilshire Law Firm
Did your San Diego employer break the law? At Wilshire Law Firm — an award-winning, nationally recognized team — our attorneys help California workers fight wrongful termination, harassment, retaliation, and unpaid wages. Contact us 24/7 for a free case review with a legal professional — there are no fees unless you get paid.
- $3B+RECOVERED
- 7X"BEST LAW FIRM" AWARDS
- 24/7AVAILABILITY & SUPPORT
- 500+LEGAL PROFESSIONALS
Understanding Your San Diego Employment Case
Explore essential resources on your rights, your options, and what to expect — everything you need to navigate the legal process, all in one place.
San Diego workers most often face wrongful termination, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation for reporting misconduct, and wage-and-hour violations. Other frequent issues include missed meal and rest breaks, misclassification as exempt employees or independent contractors, failure to accommodate disabilities, and denial of protected medical leave. These problems appear across San Diego's largest employers in military support contracting, healthcare, hospitality, biotech, education, and tourism. A legal professional can review your situation during a free case review.
Wilshire Law Firm handles the full range of California employee-rights claims. Our attorneys represent workers in cases involving wrongful termination, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and whistleblower claims, unpaid wages and overtime, meal and rest break violations, disability accommodation failures, and FMLA/CFRA leave violations. Wilshire Law Firm is an award-winning, nationally recognized team, and there are no fees unless you get paid.
Preserve evidence as early as possible to protect your claim. Save your pay stubs, schedules, and time records; keep copies of emails, texts, and any written complaints; document harassment or discrimination incidents with dates and details; take notes about conversations with supervisors or HR; and hold on to any disciplinary write-ups or performance reviews. This documentation helps a legal professional evaluate what happened during a free case review.
Most California discrimination and harassment claims begin with a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD). The agency may investigate and can issue a right-to-sue notice that allows you to file a civil lawsuit, generally within one year of that notice. Some cases also involve federal protections and a parallel filing with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Because filing steps and deadlines vary by case, it's best to speak with a legal professional early.
California law generally prohibits employers from punishing workers for protected activity. Retaliation can occur when an employer takes negative action — such as firing, demotion, or pay cuts — because you reported harassment or discrimination, requested a disability accommodation, took protected medical leave, participated in an investigation, raised safety concerns, or blew the whistle on illegal conduct. If you experienced consequences after protected activity, a workplace retaliation lawyer can review your case.
The California Labor Code gives non-exempt employees strong wage-and-hour protections. These generally include the right to be paid overtime, to receive compliant meal and rest breaks, to be paid for all off-the-clock work, to receive accurate wage statements, to avoid improper deductions, and to be paid a timely final paycheck. Misclassifying an employee as exempt or as an independent contractor can violate these rules. A wage and hour lawyer can review your pay records for free.
Meet Our San Diego Employment Attorneys
Nationally-Recognized Powerhouse, Fighting for the Justice You Deserve
Our award-winning attorneys have recovered billions for clients while taking on insurance companies and major corporations.
John G. Yslas, Esq.Senior Partner, Chair of the Employment Wage & Hour Class Action Department
Mary Lee Caruso, Esq.Senior Partner
Tyler J. Woods, Esq.Senior Partner
Arrash Fattahi, Esq.Partner
Benjamin Haber, Esq.Partner
Nicol Hajjar, Esq.Partner
Diego Aviles, Esq.Junior Partner
Jeffrey Bils, Esq.Junior Partner
Emily Borman, Esq.Junior Partner
Jose Maria D. Patino, Jr., Esq.Junior Partner
Christina M. LeJunior Partner
William M. Pao, Esq.Junior Partner
Eugene Zinovyev, Esq.Junior Partner$12.0M
Recovery for employees denied legally required meal and rest breaks.
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Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Each case is unique and evaluated on its own facts.
How Do I Know If I Have an Employment Claim in San Diego?
You may have a valid employment claim if your employer took an unlawful action against you and you suffered harm as a result. Unlawful actions generally include termination or discipline based on a protected characteristic, retaliation for protected activity, sexual harassment, or failure to pay wages you earned. California is an at-will employment state, but at-will status does not let an employer fire, demote, or harass you for an illegal reason. Because FEHA, the California Labor Code, and filing deadlines apply, contact Wilshire Law Firm for a free case review with a legal professional.
Start Your Free San Diego Employment Case Review
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- Hablamos Español
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No fees unless you get paid.
Record breaking results
Winners of #1 Settlements in California
Our attorneys have recovered billions of dollars, including some of the biggest settlements in California.
17#1 Settlements in California, 2022–2024*
TopVerdict #1TopVerdict.com #1 settlements
1–1 of 17
#1 Truck v. Pedestrian Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Multi-Vehicle Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Equipment Malfunction Settlement
2024
#1 Car v. Stationary Object Collision Settlement
2024
#1 Bus v. Passenger Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Whistleblower Retaliation Settlement
2023
#1 Underinsured Motorist Settlement
2023
#1 Slip & Fall Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Negligent Security Settlement
2023
#1 Ladder Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Hotel Premises Liability Settlement
2023
#1 Car v. Car Collision Settlement
2023
#1 Bicycle Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Pregnancy Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Age/Disability Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Wrongful Termination Settlement
2022
#1 Meal & Rest Breaks Settlement
2022
*#1 settlements in California have been awarded by TopVerdict.com. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
San Diego Employment FAQs
Our Most Frequently Asked Questions
We've answered the most common ones below. If yours isn't here, call us — we're available 24/7.
San Diego's economy centers on defense and military-adjacent employers, biotechnology, tourism, and healthcare, where security clearances and steep professional hierarchies can discourage workers from reporting problems. FEHA still protects these employees from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
Employment lawsuits arising in San Diego are generally filed in San Diego County Superior Court, though FEHA discrimination and harassment claims typically start at the California Civil Rights Department. Your attorney can confirm the proper venue.
For FEHA discrimination and harassment claims, you generally must first file with the California Civil Rights Department and get a right-to-sue notice before going to court. Certain wage claims follow a different path through the Labor Commissioner.
Under FEHA you generally have one year from the date of the right-to-sue notice to file your civil lawsuit. Since deadlines have exceptions, confirm the exact date that applies to you without delay.