Our policies, in plain language.

Last reviewed: September 17, 2026

Licensing & registration

• California Farm Labor Contractor license, issued by the Labor Commissioner: No. 1001171930.
• U.S. Department of Labor MSPA certificate of registration: No. R-WE-CA-51224110-0128.
• Registered with the County Agricultural Commissioner in each county where we operate.
• Workers' compensation insurance covers every Ceres employee.

Our licenses are renewed every year. Growers can verify our California license or look us up on the U.S. Department of Labor's list of registered farm labor contractors. We show copies of both to anyone we work with, and every vehicle that carries workers displays our name and license number.

Equal opportunity

We hire, pay, promote and assign work without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age (40 and over), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, reproductive health decisions, or any other status protected by California or federal law. Workers are welcome to speak the language of their choice at work, except where a specific safety or business reason requires otherwise.

Harassment prevention

Sexual harassment and any harassment based on a protected status is not tolerated at Ceres — from supervisors, co-workers, growers' staff or anyone else at a worksite.

• Supervisors complete harassment-prevention training every year. Farmworkers are trained when they're hired and at least every two years after.
• Training is given in a language each worker understands.
• You can report harassment to your supervisor, to any manager in the office, or to the owner. You don't have to report it to the person involved.
• We investigate every report promptly and as confidentially as we can, and we take action when harassment happened.
• You can also file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department.

Pay practices

• Everyone is paid at least California minimum wage ($16.90 an hour in 2026; $17.40 starting January 1, 2027).
• Overtime is paid at 1.5 times the regular rate after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, and double time after 12 hours in a day. The seventh consecutive workday has its own overtime rules.
• Rest breaks (10 minutes per 4 hours) and heat recovery periods are paid. For piece-rate work they are paid separately at the worker's average hourly rate, along with other nonproductive time.
• If a required meal, rest or recovery period is missed, the worker gets an extra hour of pay for that day.
• Every paycheck comes with an itemized pay stub showing hours, piece counts, rates, deductions, paid sick leave balance, and the grower you worked for.
• At hire, every worker gets written information about pay rate, payday and job terms in Spanish or English. Pay rates are posted at each worksite and in each vehicle in both languages.
• Paid sick leave: at least 40 hours (5 days) a year.

Regular payday: every Friday, for the previous week's work.

No fees for jobs

Ceres never charges workers to apply, to be hired, or to keep a job. No supervisor or recruiter may ask for money, gifts or favors in exchange for work. If anyone does, report it to the office right away.

Reporting problems & non-retaliation

You have the right to raise a concern about safety, pay, harassment or any other problem — with us or with a government agency — without being fired, disciplined, threatened or given worse work. That includes reporting heat or pesticide hazards, asking about your pay, taking a cool-down rest, using sick leave, or taking part in an investigation.

How to report

• Tell your crew supervisor, or
• Call the office: (661) 910-3157, or
• Talk to any manager in person, in Spanish or English.

Worker notices & rights

• Union rights: Under California's Agricultural Labor Relations Act, farmworkers have the right to decide for themselves whether to organize, join or support a union, or not to.
• Know Your Rights notice: Current employees receive California's Workplace Know Your Rights notice each year and when hired, and can name an emergency contact.
• Required postings — wage orders, minimum wage, paid sick leave, workers' compensation, pesticide safety and others — are posted where workers can see them at the office and worksites.
• Hiring documents: Form I-9 is completed after hire. Workers choose which acceptable documents to present, and we never ask for more than the law requires.

Outside help

You can contact these agencies directly. They don't ask about immigration status when you report a wage or safety problem, and they have Spanish-speaking staff.