Championing Fair Pay: California United Law Group Advocates for Your Wage and Hour Rights
California has some of the most employee-friendly and robust wage and hour laws in the nation.
California’s “wage and hour” laws are implemented to ensure that employees are fairly and fully compensated for the exact amount of time they work, to protect employees from being overworked or exploited by their employers, and to ensure acceptable working conditions. These regulations typically govern minimum wage requirements, off-the-clock work, overtime pay rules, meal and rest breaks, accurate record-keeping requirements, expense reimbursements, and limitations on employees’ working hours. They also obligate employers to provide employees with and maintain proper payroll and time-related documentation and policies.
Many employers, however, are either unaware of or knowingly fail to comply with California’s extensive wage and hour laws. Nevertheless, employers can be—and often are—held liable for laws they do not know exist.
Whether you suspect that your employer is not paying you properly, withholding wages from you, overworking you, has unrealistic expectations, or does not have acceptable policies (including those written in its employee handbook), it is important to remember that you have extensive rights under California law. At California United Law Group, we apply these laws for your benefit and assert our best efforts to secure the compensation you deserve.
As a brief overview, some of California’s most prominent wage and hour laws include, but are not nearly limited to, the following:
- Minimum Wage: California has one of the highest minimum wage rates in the country, which increases annually. Employers are required to pay their employees at least the minimum wage for all time worked.
- Off-the-Clock Work and Unpaid Wages: Regardless of an employee’s rate of pay, employers must compensate employees for all their time worked. Off-the-Clock work is unlawful. Common examples include an employer’s failure to compensate an employee for pre- or post-shift tasks, training sessions, meetings and travel time, working through breaks, and responding to work-related communications outside of regular working hours without compensation.
- Overtime Pay: Non-exempt employees must be paid overtime at a rate of 1.5 times their regular pay for any hours worked over 8 in a day or 40 in a week. Double pay is required for hours worked over 12 in a single day.
- Meal and Rest Breaks: Employees are entitled to a 30-minute unpaid meal break if they work more than 5 hours in a day, and a second meal break if they work more than 10 hours. Additionally, a 10-minute paid rest break must be provided for every 4 hours worked.
- Record Keeping Requirements: Employers are required to maintain accurate records of hours worked, pay rates, and other wage-related information. Employees have the right to receive a detailed wage statement outlining their earnings and deductions.
- Misclassification of Employees: Employers must correctly classify employees as either exempt or non-exempt and cannot mislabel workers as independent contractors to avoid paying proper wages and benefits.
- Unlawful Deductions: Employers cannot deduct wages from an employee’s paycheck for things like uniforms or business expenses, unless explicitly permitted by law.
- Reimbursement for Business Expenses: Employers are required to reimburse employees for all necessary business expenses, such as mileage or equipment purchases.
Violations of these laws can result in significant penalties for employers and may entitle employees to recover unpaid wages, penalties, and legal fees. If you believe your employer is not complying with California’s wage and hour laws, it’s essential to seek legal advice to protect your rights.
