Are you entitled to overtime pay in California?

Employees in California are hard-working and they deserve to be compensated for their efforts. Beyond normal wage laws, California employees are generally owed overtime pay for hours worked over 40 per week. However, overtime laws are not as clear cut as this.

Overtime pay applies to most nonexempt hourly workers over 18 in the state of California. If you work over eight hours in a day or more than six days in a week, you qualify for overtime pay. This pay is equal to one and a half times the regular hourly pay rate. If you work over 12 hours in a single work day or over eight hours for seven consecutive days you should be paid double your regular rate of pay. In some cases, salaried employees are also entitled to overtime pay, but this is not always the case.

Overtime laws

Regular pay rate varies based on employers. Current minimum wage in California is $10.50 per hour for companies with 25 employees or less and $11 per hour for companies with 26 employees or more. This means overtime pay for small companies is $15.75 and $16.50 for larger businesses.

If you work overtime you should receive payment during your next regular payroll period after the overtime hours you worked.

What does this mean for me?

If you are a nonexempt hourly employee and you work overtime, even if unauthorized, you are owed overtime pay for each hour worked. If you suspect you did not receive adequate pay for the hours you worked, you may want to consult an attorney for more information about your situation and to see if you can pursue a lawsuit against your employer.