Businesses across the state depend on hourly workers to operate successfully. Hourly employment arrangements can be cost-effective, as hourly workers may not be eligible for the same complex compensation packages as those paid on a salary basis.
However, there can be expenses that arise in an hourly employment arrangement that are not a concern when workers receive a salary. Many salaried employees are exempt from overtime pay rules unless their salaries do not meet the current state thresholds for exemption.
Hourly workers, on the other hand, have a right to overtime wages if they work more than the standard 40-hour work week. Federal law establishes 40 hours as the cutoff for overtime pay eligibility. California expanded on that idea by creating additional scenarios in which workers deserve overtime pay.
When are overtime wages necessary?
As is the case under federal law, California employees have a right to overtime pay after they work 40 hours in a workweek. The workweek doesn’t necessarily run from Monday to Friday. Employers can choose when they begin and end the workweek as long as it is consistent.
In some cases, hourly employees and non-exempt salaried employees may be eligible for overtime pay despite working fewer than 40 hours. If employers require that employees work seven days in a row, the hours worked on the seventh day are all overtime under state law. Even if the employee only works a three-hour shift each day, they deserve at least 150% of their usual hourly wages for the three hours worked on the seventh consecutive day.
Particularly long shifts can also lead to overtime wages. Under California law, workers can receive overtime pay after they have put in more than eight hours per shift. In fact, once a shift reaches 12 hours, they may have a right to 200% of their usual hourly wage. There are certain exceptions for workers in certain specific professions, including nannies and those who work in healthcare.
Learning about unique provisions included in California employment statutes can help workers recognize when employers may have violated their rights or underpaid them. Hourly workers and non-exempt salaried workers may be eligible for overtime wages after working without days off or enduring particularly long shifts.