top of page

Know Your Rights as a Worker

Protecting Your Rights in the Workplace

WAGE & HOUR RIGHTS

What is the minimum wage in California?

  • The state minimum wage is $16.00 per hour. Some cities, such as Los Angeles, have higher local minimum wages.

 

City of Los Angeles Minimum Wage

  • The citywide minimum wage increased to $17.28 per hour on July 1, 2024.

 

Los Angeles County Minimum Wage

  • The minimum wage for workers in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County is $17.27 per hour.

  • Future Increase: Effective July 1, 2025, the minimum wage in unincorporated L.A. County will increase to $17.81 per hour.

 

Minimum Salary for Exempt Employees

(No Overtime Pay)

  • If you are a salaried employee and classified as exempt from overtime, your salary must meet the minimum threshold set by California law.

  • As of 2024, the minimum annual salary for exempt employees is $66,560 (for employers with 26+ employees) and $64,480 (for employers with 25 or fewer employees).

  • If you are paid less than this, you may be misclassified and entitled to overtime pay.

​

Do I qualify for overtime pay?

  • Yes, if you are a non-exempt employee. You qualify for 1.5x pay for hours worked over 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week.

  • Double time (2x pay) applies when you work over 12 hours in a day or 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day of a workweek.

  • Regular Bonuses Increase Overtime Pay: If you regularly receive bonuses, your overtime pay rate must be adjusted to include those amounts.

 

 

Am I entitled to meal and rest breaks?

  • Meal Breaks: If you work more than 5 hours, you are entitled to an unpaid 30-minute meal break before the end of your fifth hour of work.

  • If you work more than 10 hours, you are entitled to a second meal break before the end of your tenth hour of work.

  • Meal Break Waivers: If you and your employer agree, you can waive your meal break, but this waiver must be voluntary and can be revoked at any time.

  • Rest Breaks: If you work at least 3.5 hours, you are entitled to a paid 10-minute rest break every 4 hours worked.

  • You Can Leave During Breaks: Employers cannot require you to stay on the premises during rest or meal breaks.

  • Failure to provide breaks: Employers must pay an extra one hour of pay per missed meal or rest break.

Work Hours

Meal Break Required?

Rest Breaks Required?

3.5-5

NO

1 x 10-min paid

5 - 10

1 x 30-min unpaid

before the 5th hour

2 x 10-min paid

10 - 12

2 x 30-min unpaid before the 5th and 10th hour

3 x 10-min paid

Getting Paid for All Hours Worked

  • You must be paid for every minute you work, even if it’s only a few extra minutes before or after your shift.

  • If you clock in early or stay late, even by a few minutes every day, those minutes add up and must be included in your paycheck.

  • If you are paid exactly 8 hours each day on your paycheck, but you regularly work slightly more than 8 hours due to early clock-ins or late clock-outs, you may be getting underpaid. Track your hours carefully.

What if my employer has a “no overtime” policy?

  • Overtime pay is a right that cannot be waived by you or your employer.

  • If your employer allows you to work overtime hours, you must be paid overtime rates, even if they have a policy against it.

  • If your employer instructs you not to work overtime and you do so anyway, they can discipline you but must still pay you for the time worked.

Employer Responsibility for Expense Reimbursements
 

Does my employer have to reimburse me for work-related expenses?

Yes. Employers must reimburse employees for necessary business expenses incurred while performing job duties.

​

Common reimbursable expenses include:

Phone and Internet:

If you use your personal phone for work-related calls, texts, or clocking in/out, your employer must reimburse you.

Remote Work Expenses:

If you work from home, your employer must reimburse a reasonable portion of your internet costs.

Travel & Mileage:

If you use your personal vehicle for work-related travel, you are entitled to mileage reimbursement at the IRS standard rate.

Need Help?
Contact Us Today
​

Visit our Workers’ Rights Clinic for free consultations on wage and hour violations.

 

Haulk & Herrera LLP – Workers’ Rights Clinic

 

777 S. Alameda St., 2nd Floor Los Angeles, CA 90021

bottom of page