Minimum wage in California

Eight hours of labor constitutes a day’s work. Any work in excess of eight hours in one workday and any work in excess of 40 hours in any one workweek and the first eight hours worked on the seventh day of work in any one workweek shall be compensated at the rate of no less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay for an employee. Any work in excess of 12 hours in one day shall be compensated at the rate of no less than twice the regular rate of pay for an employee. In addition, any work in excess of eight hours on any seventh day of a workweek shall be compensated at the rate of no less than twice the regular rate of pay of an employee.

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September 27, 2026

Verified September 27, 2026

An employer shall not employ an employee for a work period of more than five hours per day without providing the employee with a meal period of not less than 30 minutes, except that if the total work period per day of the employee is no more than six hours, the meal period may be waived by mutual consent of both the employer and employee. An employer shall not employ an employee for a work period of more than 10 hours per day without providing the employee with a second meal period of not less than 30 minutes, except that if the total hours worked is no more than 12 hours, the second meal period may be waived by mutual consent of the employer and the employee only if the first meal period was not waived.

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September 27, 2026

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Lab. Code 226.7: an employer that fails to provide a required meal period owes one additional hour of pay at the regular rate for each workday (DIR meal periods FAQ).

Verified September 27, 2026

Employers of California employees covered by the rest period provisions of the Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Orders must authorize and permit a net 10-minute paid rest period for every four hours worked or major fraction thereof. Insofar as is practicable, the rest period should be in the middle of the work period. If an employer does not authorize or permit a rest period, the employer shall pay the employee one hour of pay at the employee's regular rate of pay for each workday that the rest period is not provided.

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agency page

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September 27, 2026

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DLSE treats anything over 2 hours as a major fraction of 4; no rest period is required when total daily work time is under 3.5 hours (same FAQ).

Verified September 27, 2026

In California, wages, with some exceptions (see table below), must be paid at least twice during each calendar month on the days designated in advance as regular paydays. The employer must establish a regular payday and is required to post a notice that shows the day, time and location of payment. Labor Code Section 207 Wages earned between the 1st and 15th days, inclusive, of any calendar month must be paid no later than the 26th day of the month during which the labor was performed, and wages earned between the 16th and last day of the month must be paid by the 10th day of the following month. Other payroll periods such as weekly, biweekly (every two weeks) or semimonthly (twice per month) when the earning period is something other than between the 1st and 15th, and 16th and last day of the month, must be paid within seven calendar days of the end of the payroll period within which the wages were earned. Labor Code Section 204

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September 27, 2026

Verified September 27, 2026

An employee who is discharged must be paid all of his or her wages, including accrued vacation, immediately at the time of termination. Labor Code Sections 201 and 227.3 A group of employees who are laid off by reason of the termination of seasonal employment in the curing, canning, or drying of any variety of perishable fruit, fish or vegetables, must be paid within 72 hours after the layoff. Payment shall be made by mail to any such employee who so requests and designates a mailing address therefor. Labor Code Section 201 An employee engaged in the production of motion pictures who is laid off and whose unusual or uncertain terms of employment require special computation in order to ascertain the amount due, must be paid by the next regular payday. The payment of wages to employees covered by this section may be mailed to the employee or made available to the employee at a location specified by the employer in the county where the employee was hired or performed labor. The payment shall be deemed to have been made on the date that the employee's wages are mailed to the employee or made available to the employee at the location specified by the employer, whichever is earlier. For purposes of this section, an employment terminates when the employment relationship ends, whether by discharge, lay off, resignation, completion of employment for a specified term, or otherwise. Labor Code Section 201.5 An employee engaged in the business of oil drilling who is laid off must be paid within 24 hours after discharge, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Labor Code Section 201.7 If employees are employed at a venue that hosts live theatrical or concert events and are enrolled in and routinely dispatched to employment through a hiring hall or other system of regular short-term employment established in accordance with a bona fide collective bargaining agreement, these employees and their employers may establish terms in their collective bargaining agreement the time limits for payment of wages to an employee who is discharged or laid off. Labor Code Section 201.9 An employee without a written employment contract for a definite period of time who gives at least 72 hours prior notice of his or her intention to quit, and quits on the day given in the notice, must be paid all of his or her wages, including accrued vacation, at the time of quitting. Labor Code Section 202 An employee without a written employment contract for a definite period of time who quits without giving 72 hours prior notice must be paid all of his or her wages, including accrued vacation, within 72 hours of quitting.

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September 27, 2026

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Industry exceptions (seasonal food processing, motion pictures, oil drilling, live events) are listed in the same quote. See the `other` rule for the waiting time penalty (Lab. Code 203).

Verified September 27, 2026

(a) If an employer willfully fails to pay, without abatement or reduction, in accordance with Sections 201, 201.3, 201.5, 201.6, 201.8, 201.9, 202, and 205.5, any wages of an employee who is discharged or who quits, the wages of the employee shall continue as a penalty from the due date thereof at the same rate until paid or until an action therefor is commenced; but the wages shall not continue for more than 30 days.

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September 27, 2026

Verified September 27, 2026

In general terms (and subject to some exceptions), employees under an accrual plan must earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for each 30 hours of work (the 1:30 schedule). Although employers may adopt or keep other types of accrual schedules (other than 1:30), the schedule must result in an employee having at least 24 hours of accrued sick leave or paid time off by the 120th calendar day of employment and 40 hours by the 200th calendar day of employment. If an employer is using the 1 hour of paid sick leave accrued for 30 hours worked or something more generous (e.g. 1 hour accrued of paid sick leave for every 20 hours worked), then the employer does not have to provide 24 hours or 3 days by the 120th day of the year and 40 hours or 5 days by the 200th day. The requirements to provide the minimum amounts by the 120th day and the 200th day of the year are set up as a measure for employers who use other accrual methods so that the plans meet certain minimums. The measure assumes full-time employment. The 1:30 yields the same results of roughly 24 hours and 40 hours by the 120th day and the 200th day, respectively, for full time workers. Although employees may accrue more than five days of paid sick leave under the one hour for every 30 hours worked accrual method (or under an alternative accrual standard), the law allows employers to limit an employee’s use of paid sick leave to 40 hours or five days during a year. The law also allows an employer to limit an employee’s total accrued paid sick leave to no more than 80 hours or ten days. Before January 1, 2024, an employer could limit an employee’s use to 24 hours or three days during a year and an employee’s accrual to no more than 48 hours or six days.

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September 27, 2026

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Lab. Code 246 as amended by SB 616 (2023). Before January 1, 2024 the caps were 24 hours/3 days of use and 48 hours/6 days of accrual.

Verified September 27, 2026

(a) No employer or agent shall collect, take, or receive any gratuity or a part thereof that is paid, given to, or left for an employee by a patron, or deduct any amount from wages due an employee on account of a gratuity, or require an employee to credit the amount, or any part thereof, of a gratuity against and as a part of the wages due the employee from the employer. Every gratuity is hereby declared to be the sole property of the employee or employees to whom it was paid, given, or left for. An employer that permits patrons to pay gratuities by credit card shall pay the employees the full amount of the gratuity that the patron indicated on the credit card slip, without any deductions for any credit card payment processing fees or costs that may be charged to the employer by the credit card company. Payment of gratuities made by patrons using credit cards shall be made to the employees not later than the next regular payday following the date the patron authorized the credit card payment.

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September 27, 2026

Verified September 27, 2026

(a) The Industrial Welfare Commission may establish exemptions from the requirement that an overtime rate of compensation be paid pursuant to Sections 510 and 511 for executive, administrative, and professional employees, if the employee is primarily engaged in the duties that meet the test of the exemption, customarily and regularly exercises discretion and independent judgment in performing those duties, and earns a monthly salary equivalent to no less than two times the state minimum wage for full-time employment.

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September 27, 2026

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Lab. Code 515(c) defines full-time employment as 40 hours per week, so the floor is 2 x state minimum wage x 2,080 hours a year.

Verified September 27, 2026

Ages 14 & 15 Must have completed 7th grade to work while school in session (EC 49112) 3 hours per schoolday outside of school hours [EC 49112, 49116; LC 1391] 8 hours on any non-schoolday 18 hours per week [EC 49116; LC 1391] WEE students may work during school hours & up to 23 hours per week. See text. [EC 49116; LC 1391] 8 hours per day [LC 1391, 1392] 40 hours per week [LC 1391] 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., except that from June 1 through Labor Day, until 9 p.m. [LC 1391]

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September 27, 2026

Verified September 27, 2026

In California, all employers must meet workplace posting obligations. Workplace postings are usually available at no cost from the requiring agency. The Department of Industrial Relations requires employers to post information related to wages, hours and working conditions in an area frequented by employees where it may be easily read during the workday. Additional posting requirements apply to some workplaces. For a list of available safety and health postings, visit the Cal/OSHA publications page. For more information , see answers to frequently asked questions about workplace postings. Downloaded posters meet an employer's legal obligation.

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agency page

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September 27, 2026

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The DIR list includes the IWC wage order (Lab. Code 1183(d)), the state minimum wage poster and the paid sick leave poster.

Verified September 27, 2026

Make sure you file timely Within one year for penalties regarding a bounced check or failing to provide access to, or a copy of, payroll or personnel records. Within two years for an oral promise to pay more than minimum wage. Within three years for violations of minimum wage, overtime, unpaid rest and meal breaks, sick leave, illegal deductions from pay or unpaid reimbursements

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agency page

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September 27, 2026

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Claims can be filed online, by email, by mail or in person with the Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE).

Verified September 27, 2026