Best Employment Lawyers in Elk Grove, CA

Can Employers Make Overtime Mandatory in California? Employers in California may require their employees to work overtime. However, employees must get paid accordingly. In California, employees are entitled to overtime pay when they work over 40 hours in a single workweek, more than 12 hours in a single day or on their seventh consecutive workday. Employers are required to pay employees one and a half times their pay for overtime hours. Employers must also provide rest and meal breaks when employees are required to work overtime. This means employees are entitled to an unpaid 30-minute meal break for every five hours worked. For every three and a half hours of work, employees are entitled to paid 10-minute rest breaks, too. There are some instances when an employer cannot force an employee to work overtime, though. Including when it affects the employee’s health, family leave or breaches a contract. In California, employees who clocked more than 72 hours in a previous workweek also cannot be forced to work overtime. Employees who are covered by the Rehabilitation or Americans with Disabilities Act may also need their overtime schedules modified by their employer. Salaried employees who are exempt from overtime laws may also be forced to work overtime, and employers may not be required to pay them overtime wages. However, to be exempt, employees must meet certain criteria.