labor lawAdivision of labor law center

The state of California has a very thorough labor law which impacts most all employers and employees in a variety of ways. I thought it would be helpful to give an overview of a few highlights that many employers and employees may be interested in:

Minimum Wage: California has a state minimum wage of $6.75 per hour. This is likely to increase in the coming months. There is no distinction made between adults and minors under this law. Also, California employers may not use tips as a “credit” toward their obligation to pay employees the minimum wage required under the law.

Meals and Breaks: California is one of a handful of states that mandates meal and rest breaks for employees. Employees must generally be given a 30 minute unpaid meal period for each five hours they have continuously worked. A 10 minute rest break must also be given to employees for each four hours they are on the job.

Overtime Law: State law in California requires that employees be paid one and one half times their regular pay rate for “all hours in excess of 8 hours and up to and including 12 hours” on any workday and also for the first 8 hours worked on the seventh consecutive day of a working week. A pay rate of double the employee’s normal rate must be paid for hours worked in excess of 12 on a given workday. The double rate must also be paid for any hours in excess of 8 worked on a seventh consecutive day in the workweek. A number of exemptions are applied to this rule, and it doesn’t apply to many professional, administrative and executive employees.

California labor law contains many other provisions related to payment of wages, labor disputes, union issues, licensing of employment agencies, unemployment relief, workers’ compensation, health and safety conditions for workers, employee benefits, and regulation of potentially hazardous industries.

A much more thorough listing of California’s labor laws can be found on the California Complete Labor Law Poster. This poster contains all the required federal and state labor law notices.

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