March 9, 2026In 2025, an Orange County judge approved a $233 million settlement against Disneyland, the largest wage class action in California history, after more than 51,000 theme park workers proved the company had been underpaying them for years in violation of Anaheim’s own Living Wage Ordinance.
That case was won because workers understood something most employers hope they never figure out: in Anaheim, you’re not protected by just one set of laws. You’re protected by three local ordinances, California state law, and federal law, and they stack on top of each other. When one layer doesn’t cover a violation, another usually does. When multiple layers apply, the penalties multiply.
Abramson Labor Group is an employment law firm with more than 35 years of combined experience, over 500 five-star Google reviews, and attorneys recognized by Super Lawyers. We represent Anaheim workers across hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, construction, and every other sector in wrongful termination, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, wage theft, retaliation, whistle blower claims, workers’ compensation, and personal injury cases. Every case is handled on contingency. You pay nothing unless we win.
Free case evaluations: (213) 660-4461
Most Anaheim workers don’t know their city has passed its own employment laws, ordinances that go further than California state law and create additional rights that exist nowhere else. If you work in Anaheim, these protections may apply to you right now.
Passed by voters in 2018, Measure L requires hospitality employers in the Anaheim Resort area who benefit from city subsidies to pay a minimum wage that significantly exceeds the California state minimum. As of 2025, the Measure L rate stands at $20.42/hour, well above the statewide $16.90/hour. The rate adjusts annually for inflation.
Measure L also requires covered employers to distribute service charges directly to employees and prohibits retaliation against workers who assert their rights under the ordinance. The $233 million Disney settlement proved that even the largest employer in Anaheim is not above this law.
Who’s covered: Hourly, nonexempt employees at hospitality businesses in the Anaheim Resort area that receive city subsidies, including theme parks, hotels, restaurants, and related services. If you work in Anaheim’s hospitality or tourism sector and you’re earning less than the Measure L rate, you may be owed back pay, interest, and penalties.
Anaheim has enacted ordinances that protect hotel workers beyond what state law requires, including provisions addressing workload standards, safety protections, and worker retention during ownership changes. These protections reflect the city’s recognition that its tourism-driven economy depends on a workforce that is treated fairly.
Orange County is home to a regional office of the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) and falls within the jurisdiction of the California Civil Rights Department for discrimination and harassment filings. Workers in Anaheim can file complaints locally or statewide and for many claims, they can bypass administrative filings entirely and proceed directly to court with the help of an employment lawyer.
California’s worker protections are among the strongest in the nation. They apply to every employee in Anaheim, in every industry, regardless of whether a local ordinance also applies. Here’s what California law guarantees you.
California is an at-will state, but employers cannot fire you for an illegal reason. Wrongful termination claims arise when you’re fired because of a protected characteristic (race, gender, age, disability, pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation, or others), in retaliation for exercising a legal right (filing a complaint, requesting leave, reporting a violation), or in violation of public policy (refusing to do something illegal, performing jury duty, exercising your right to vote).
Anaheim’s economy is dominated by industries, hospitality, tourism, food service, retail, where turnover is high and wrongful termination often goes unchallenged because workers assume they have no recourse. They do. Our wrongful termination lawyers evaluate the real reason behind the firing, not the one your employer wrote on the paperwork.
The Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age (40+), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, religion, and military/veteran status. FEHA covers employers with five or more employees.
Anaheim’s workforce is one of the most diverse in Orange County. According to census data, the city’s population is approximately 53 percent Hispanic or Latino, 26 percent White, 16 percent Asian, and 3 percent Black, with a significant immigrant and multilingual community. Workplace discrimination in Anaheim often intersects with national origin, language, and immigration status in ways that are both illegal and deeply damaging. Our discrimination attorneys handle claims across every protected category.
California law prohibits both quid pro quo harassment (job benefits conditioned on sexual compliance) and hostile work environment harassment (severe or pervasive unwanted sexual conduct). Employers are strictly liable for harassment by supervisors and liable for coworker or third-party harassment they knew or should have known about.
In Anaheim’s hospitality and service industries, where workers interact closely with the public and often occupy positions with limited power relative to managers and guests, sexual harassment is alarmingly common and underreported. You have the right to a workplace free from harassment, and our attorneys will hold both the harasser and the employer accountable.
California’s Labor Code sets baseline requirements that every Anaheim employer must follow:
Minimum wage: $16.90/hour statewide as of 2026 (higher under Measure L for covered employers, and higher for fast-food and healthcare workers under separate state mandates).
Overtime: 1.5x after 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week. 2x after 12 hours in a day. These apply to all non-exempt employees.
Meal breaks: A 30-minute uninterrupted meal break before the end of the 5th hour of work. A second meal break before the end of the 10th hour.
Rest breaks: A 10-minute paid rest break for every 4 hours worked.
Final paychecks: All wages owed must be paid on the date of termination (or within 72 hours if the employee resigns without notice). Late payments trigger waiting time penalties of up to 30 days of additional wages.
Accurate pay stubs: Every pay period, employers must provide an itemized wage statement showing hours worked, pay rates, deductions, and accrued sick leave.
Expense reimbursement: Employers must reimburse employees for all necessary business expenses, including mileage, tools, uniforms, and cell phone use for work purposes.
When employers violate any of these requirements, workers are entitled to back pay, interest, statutory penalties, and in many cases PAGA penalties on behalf of all affected employees. Our wage and hour attorneys handle individual and representative claims.
Multiple California statutes prohibit employers from retaliating against workers who exercise their legal rights, filing complaints, participating in investigations, requesting accommodations, taking protected leave, or reporting illegal conduct. FEHA, the Labor Code, and the California Whistleblower Protection Act all provide overlapping protections that make retaliation one of the most provable and heavily penalized employment violations.
Labor Code Section 1102.5 prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who report reasonably suspected violations of law to a supervisor, a government agency, or a person with authority to investigate. You don’t need to prove the violation actually occurred, you need to have had a reasonable belief that it did.
Additional protections exist under the False Claims Act, Cal/OSHA, and federal statutes.
Federal statutes provide a floor of protection that applies to all Anaheim workers, and in some cases they cover situations that state law doesn’t.
Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Covers employers with 15+ employees. While FEHA is broader, Title VII remains relevant for federal claims and for employers not covered by FEHA.
Prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities and requires reasonable accommodations. Works alongside California’s FEHA, which provides even broader disability protections.
Sets a federal minimum wage and overtime requirements. California’s standards exceed the FLSA in most respects, but the federal law remains a backstop.
Provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for qualifying medical and family reasons. California’s CFRA provides parallel protections, and the two run concurrently for covered employees.
Sets federal workplace safety standards. California’s Cal/OSHA program provides equivalent or greater protections and handles enforcement within the state.
The key takeaway: When a single employment violation implicates local, state, and federal law simultaneously, the available remedies compound. An Anaheim hospitality worker who was paid below the Measure L rate, denied overtime under the Labor Code, and retaliated against for complaining has three separate legal bases for recovery, and the damages can be substantial.
Every California employer must carry workers’ compensation insurance. If you’re injured on the job or develop a work-related illness, you’re entitled to medical treatment, temporary disability benefits, permanent disability benefits, supplemental job displacement, and in fatal cases, death benefits for your family. These benefits are available regardless of fault.
Our workers’ compensation attorneys represent Anaheim workers whose claims have been denied, delayed, or undervalued by insurance companies. We advocate at every stage, from initial filings through appeals before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.
Abramson Labor Group also handles personal injury cases, including wrongful death claims for families who have lost a loved one to negligence, slip, trip, and fall injuries caused by unsafe property conditions, product liability claims involving defective equipment or consumer goods, and car accident claims for injuries caused by another driver’s negligence.
Step 1 — Free consultation. You tell us what happened. We assess whether you have a viable claim, what it may be worth, and what the best path forward looks like. This conversation is free, confidential, and comes with no obligation.
Step 2 — Investigation. If we take your case, we gather evidence — documents, communications, employment records, witness statements, and expert analysis where necessary. We build the factual foundation that supports your claim.
Step 3 — Demand and negotiation. We present your case to the employer and their legal team, backed by evidence and a clear assessment of liability and damages. Many cases resolve at this stage through settlement.
Step 4 — Litigation. If the employer won’t offer a fair resolution, we file suit and prepare for trial. Our attorneys have secured a unanimous jury verdict in a retaliation case and have the courtroom experience to back up our demands.
At every step, you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.
Abramson Labor Group represents employees throughout Anaheim and the greater Orange County area, including:
Our firm is headquartered at 1700 W Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506 and represents employees in every county in California.
For certain workers, yes. Anaheim’s Living Wage Ordinance (Measure L) requires hospitality employers in the resort area who benefit from city subsidies to pay at least $20.42/hour as of 2025, significantly more than California’s statewide minimum of $16.90/hour. Additionally, California’s separate fast-food minimum wage and healthcare worker minimum wage may apply to workers in those sectors. If you’re unsure which rate applies to you, our attorneys can evaluate your situation for free.
Measure L covers hourly, nonexempt employees at hospitality businesses within the Anaheim Resort area that receive city subsidies, such as tax rebates or reimbursement agreements tied to public infrastructure. The $233 million Disney settlement established that even complex subsidy arrangements can trigger coverage. Whether your employer is covered depends on the specific financial relationship between the business and the city. An employment lawyer can help you determine whether Measure L applies to your situation.
Document everything. Save emails, texts, pay stubs, timecards, and any written communications related to the issue. Keep a personal log of events with dates, times, and witnesses. Do not sign any agreements, severance, separation, or otherwise without having them reviewed by an attorney. And contact a lawyer as soon as possible, because many claims have filing deadlines that can expire sooner than you expect.
No. Retaliation for exercising your legal rights is illegal under FEHA, the California Labor Code, and federal law. If your employer fires you, demotes you, cuts your hours, or takes any other adverse action in response to a complaint, that retaliation is itself a separate legal claim, often with its own substantial damages.
Deadlines vary. Discrimination and harassment claims must be filed with the California Civil Rights Department within three years. Most wage claims carry a three-year statute of limitations. PAGA claims must be filed within one year. Workers’ compensation claims generally must be filed within one year of the injury. These deadlines are strict and unforgiving, consult an attorney as early as possible.
Yes. Arbitration agreements change the venue of your case, from a public courtroom to a private arbitrator, but they do not eliminate your legal rights. The same claims, the same laws, and the same damages apply. PAGA claims can proceed in court regardless of an arbitration agreement. And California courts regularly strike down arbitration clauses that are unconscionable or one-sided.
Employee-side only. We have never represented an employer. Our practice is built entirely around protecting workers.
Proven results. Over 500 five-star Google reviews. Five attorneys recognized by Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. A unanimous jury verdict in a retaliation case. More than 35 years of combined experience.
No cost unless we win. Contingency representation. No retainer. No hourly rate. No fees unless we recover compensation for you.
We understand Anaheim’s economy. Tourism, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, we’ve represented workers in all of them. We know the violations that are common in these industries and the legal strategies that deliver results.
Whether you work at a theme park, a hotel, a hospital, a warehouse, or an office, if your employer is violating your rights, there is a legal remedy. Your consultation is free. Your case costs you nothing unless we win. And the deadline to act may be closer than you think.
Phone: (213) 660-4461 Address: 1700 W Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506 Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Website: abramsonlaborgroup.com
Free consultations. No fees unless we win. Serving Anaheim, Orange County, and all of California.