Representing Fremont Workers
Fremont is the fourth-largest city in the Bay Area and one of the most diverse in the country. Latino, Asian, Afghan and many other communities work side by side in manufacturing, warehousing, restaurants and retail. That diversity is a strength — but it can also be used to divide workers, and it can let employment law violations go unchallenged.
I am Arlo Uriarte, an employment attorney at Liberation Law Group. Our office is in San Francisco's Mission District and we represent workers throughout the Bay Area, including Fremont. We represent workers only — never employers. If you work in manufacturing, in a Warm Springs warehouse, in a restaurant on Thornton Avenue or in a store near NewPark Mall, and you believe you are being discriminated against, underpaid, or retaliated against for speaking up, the consultation is free and available in Spanish or English.
Work in Fremont: The Patterns We See by Industry
This page does not discuss specific employers. It describes the patterns that repeat by industry, and what California law requires in each case.
Manufacturing and Assembly
Fremont has one of the largest concentrations of manufacturing in the Bay Area. In large plants, the problems we see most often are shifts that run long without overtime paid correctly, pressure to keep working after an injury, and differences in assignments and promotions based on a worker's background.
What the law says: overtime is paid at time and a half after 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week, and at double time after 12 hours in a day (Labor Code § 510). Discrimination based on race, national origin, age or disability is illegal under FEHA regardless of how many employees the company has. And retaliation for reporting an injury or an unsafe condition is a separate violation with its own damages.
Warehousing and Logistics
In the Warm Springs and Ardenwood industrial parks, the most common problems are production quotas that make it impossible to take breaks, restroom time counted against the quota, and classification as an independent contractor when the company controls the schedule and the method of work.
What the law says: California's AB 701 requires large warehouses to give you any quota you are subject to in writing, and prohibits quotas that prevent you from taking your breaks or using the restroom. If a quota prevents you from taking a break, that is a violation. Under AB 5, if the company controls when, how and where you work, you are likely an employee rather than a contractor — with the right to overtime, breaks and workers' compensation coverage.
Restaurants and Hospitality
From Thornton Avenue to Niles and the businesses near NewPark Mall, what we see most is cash payment below minimum wage, hours that are never recorded, tips shared with supervisors, and breaks that are not provided on long shifts.
What the law says: tips are the property of the worker and a supervisor cannot take a share (Labor Code § 351). If you are denied a meal break or a rest break, the employer owes one hour of pay for each day and for each type of break (§ 226.7). If you no longer work there and were not paid everything you were owed at separation, you may be owed up to 30 days of wages as a penalty (§ 203).
Retail
In retail we see schedules that change without notice, hours that go unpaid for opening or closing the store, and promotions that consistently go to the same people. Work before you clock in or after you clock out — counting the register, cleaning, setting up the store — is time worked and must be paid.
Construction
With the development underway in Fremont, the construction problems we see most are public-works prevailing wage that is not paid in full, misclassification as a contractor, and retaliation against workers who raise it. On public works the prevailing wage is set by the state and is not negotiable between the contractor and the worker.
If You Recognize Your Situation
The most important thing is to document: write down the dates, keep your pay stubs and your schedules, and save any messages or emails on a personal device rather than a work one. If you no longer have access to those documents, the legal process called discovery lets us compel the employer to produce its payroll records, internal emails and policies.
Frequently Asked Questions — Employment Law in Fremont
How much does it cost to hire an employment lawyer?
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency: we are paid only if we win — typically 33% if the case resolves by settlement and 40% if it goes to trial. The consultation is free with no obligation, and we also advance the costs of the case.
How long do I have to sue in California?
It depends on the claim. Under FEHA you have 3 years from the most recent act to file with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), and 1 year to sue after the CRD issues a right-to-sue notice. For unpaid wages, generally 3 years. Do not wait — evidence disappears.
Do I need a social security number or papers to sue?
No. Your immigration status does not affect your employment rights in California (Labor Code § 1171.5). We handle every case with complete confidentiality: we do not ask about immigration status and we do not share that information with anyone. If an employer threatens to report you to immigration so that you will not complain, that is a separate violation under Labor Code Section 1019.
What areas of the Bay Area do you cover?
The entire Bay Area: San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Fremont, Hayward, Berkeley, Richmond and the rest of Northern California. Our office is in San Francisco's Mission District, and we hold consultations by phone, by video or in person.
Do you speak Spanish at Liberation Law Group?
Yes. Attorney Arlo Uriarte speaks Spanish and the entire team is bilingual. We translate documents at no cost and court interpretation is included. All communication can be in whichever language you prefer.
Is it harder to sue a large employer?
A large employer has more legal resources, but it also generates far more documentation: payroll records, internal emails, evaluation histories and written policies that we can obtain through the discovery process. The size of the employer does not change your rights under California law.
What if I was classified as an independent contractor?
Many people are misclassified. Under California's AB 5, if the company controls when you work, how you work and where you work, you are legally an employee. That gives you the right to overtime, to breaks and to workers' compensation coverage. When a staffing agency is involved, both the agency and the company where you work can be liable as joint employers.
Why is there discrimination in such a diverse city?
A city being diverse does not eliminate discrimination in its workplaces. What we see is language and national origin being used to assign the worst shifts and the worst tasks, to deny promotions, and because some employers assume certain workers will not complain. Comments and decisions based on national origin, race or accent are illegal under FEHA, and a pattern of that treatment is exactly what we document in a case.
How much is an employment case worth?
It depends on the facts: how much you lost in wages and benefits, how long the violation lasted, how severe the conduct was, and what evidence exists. We do not promise amounts. In the free consultation we explain which categories of damages apply to your situation.
Can I sue if I signed an arbitration agreement?
Possibly yes. California courts have invalidated many arbitration agreements as unconscionable — so one-sided that enforcing them would be against public policy. PAGA actions have their own rules, and a 2022 federal law prohibits forced arbitration in sexual harassment cases. We review your specific agreement for free.
The consultation is free, available in English or Spanish, with no obligation. We work on contingency: you pay nothing unless we win.
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