Santa Monica Employment Lawyer

Santa Monica Has Its Own Wage and Sick Leave Rules

Santa Monica sets its own minimum wage. As of July 1, 2026, it’s $18.47 an hour, and hotel workers have a separate, higher rate. Both go up every July 1. The city’s ordinance is also more generous with paid sick leave than state law: employers with 26 or more employees in Santa Monica have to provide up to 72 hours of paid sick leave a year, compared with the state minimum of 40 hours or five days.

Tech and Media Jobs

Tech employment disputes in Santa Monica usually come down to three things. The first is overtime for salaried people who don’t actually meet the exempt tests (in 2026, that includes earning at least $70,304 a year). The second is promises that changed after someone took the job, like equity, title, or remote work; our article on suing over false promises covers when that’s actionable. The third is layoffs. A large layoff can trigger the California WARN Act, which generally requires 60 days’ notice.

Before You Sign a Severance Agreement

If you’re offered severance, read the release carefully. Signing it usually means giving up most claims you have, including discrimination or retaliation claims you may not know you have yet. I’d rather look at it before you sign than after. Here’s more on how severance works in California.

Cases We Handle

• Wrongful termination, including layoffs used to cover discrimination
• Minimum wage, overtime, and break claims for hotel and restaurant workers
• Gender discrimination and unequal pay
• Sexual harassment
• Whistleblower retaliation

The consultation is free, and we work on contingency: no attorney fees unless we recover for you.

Nearby Areas We Serve

• Westwood employment lawyer
• Beverly Hills employment lawyer
• Long Beach employment lawyer
• All California employment law cases we handle

Call us at (310) 424-9971 or send us a message for a free consultation. We work on contingency, so there are no attorney fees unless we recover money for you.