For most people, their paycheck is extremely important to them. While many employees may enjoy their jobs, the money is the primary reason they work. In fact, for most people the money they earn is essential to their financial survival. Therefore, every penny matters to most California workers and people may wonder how much their employers have to pay them.
Under California law, employers must pay employees at least $9.00 an hour. According to the California Department of Industrial Relations, the state minimum wage will be increased on Jan. 1, 2016 to $10.00 per hour. Minimum wage requirements apply to people of all ages. Also, employees who receive tips must still be paid minimum wage.
Californians should be aware of some exceptions to the minimum wage rule. Under California law, learners can be paid less than minimum wage. A learner is an employee that has been working less than 160 hours in a new field. To be considered a learner, a person must have no previous experience in the job field. Age is not factor in determining if someone is a learner. If an employee is a learner, then the employer only needs to pay the person 85 percent of the current minimum wage.
A number of other exceptions also exist to the minimum wage law in California. The information in this blog post is general information only, not specific legal advice. If you have questions about how much you should be earning you may want to contact an experienced attorney.
Source: California Department of Industrial Relations, “Minimum Wage,” accessed Oct. 23, 2014