California Wage Payment Law

The following are sections from the California Labor Code and Education Code concerning wage payment in California.

Labor Code
Labor Code

• 200. Definitions.

Employer duties

• 201. Responsibilities of the employer when an employee is terminated.

Employee who quits

• 202. Responsibilities of an employer when an employee who is not under contract quits.

Willful failure to pay

• 203. Employer does not pay; consequences.

Insufficient funds check Payment of wages - timing

• 204. Guidelines for payment of wages.

Employers Who Pay Employees Collectively and Commissioned Employees Overtime

• 204.3. Employer may provide compensating time off for overtime worked.

Agricultural Employees
Wage disputes

• 206. Manner an employer is to deal with a wage dispute.

Discharged employees

• 208. Employee is to be paid when they are discharged or quit.

More frequent payments

• 219. Employer may pay wages more frequently than set out in code.

temization of wages paid and records

• 226. The employer is to provide an itemization of payment with each pay period.

Paid vacations

• 227.3. Paid vacation benefits when employment is terminated unless otherwise agreed upon.

Employee arriving late to work - deductions from wages.

• 2928. Deduction of wages for tardiness commensurate to the period the employee was late.

Labor Commissioner

• 96. Labor Commissioner decides cases dealing with wage payment issues.

Definitions

200. As used in this article:

(a) "Wages" includes all amounts for labor performed by employees of every description, whether the amount is fixed or ascertained by the standard of time, task, piece, commission basis, or other method of calculation.

(b) "Labor" includes labor, work, or service whether rendered or performed under contract, subcontract, partnership, station plan, or other agreement if the labor to be paid for is performed personally by the person demanding payment.

200.5.

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this code or Section
340 of the Code of Civil Procedure, to collect a civil penalty, fee,
or penalty fee under this division, the Division of Labor Standards
Enforcement shall commence an action within three years from the date
the penalty or fee became final. Upon commencement of an action, the
clerk of the superior court shall enter judgment immediately in
conformity therewith.
   (b) This section applies only to penalty assessments or fees that
became final on or after the effective date of the act adding this
section.
   (c) For purposes of this section, "commence an action" means to
file a request for entry of judgment on a civil penalty or fee with
the clerk of the superior court of the relevant county.
   (d) For purposes of this section, "final" means the time to appeal
has expired and there is no appeal pending.

Employer duties

201. If an employer discharges an employee, the wages earned and unpaid at the time of discharge are due and payable immediately. An employer who lays off a group of employees by reason of the termination of seasonal employment in the curing, canning, or drying of any variety of perishable fruit, fish or vegetables, shall be deemed to have made immediate payment when the wages of said employees are paid within such reasonable time as may be necessary for computation and payment thereof; provided, however, that such reasonable time shall not exceed 72 hours, and further provided that payment shall be made by mail to any such employee who so requests and designates a mailing address therefor.

201.5. An employer who lays off an employee engaged in the production of motion pictures, whose unusual or uncertain terms of employment require special computation in order to ascertain the amount due, shall be deemed to have made immediate payment of wages within the meaning of Section 201 if the wages of the employee are paid by the next regular payday, as prescribed by Section 204, following the layoff. For purposes of this section, "layoff" means the termination of employment of an employee where the employee retains eligibility for reemployment with the employer. For purposes of this section, "discharge" means the unconditional termination of employment of an employee. However, if an employee is discharged, payment of wages shall be made within 24 hours after discharge, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. For purposes of this section, a payment required by this section may be mailed and the date of mailing is the date of payment.

The Legislature finds and determines that special provision must be made for the payment of wages on layoff and discharge of persons engaged in the production of motion pictures because their employment at various locations is often far removed from the employer's principal administrative offices and the unusual hours of their employment in this industry is often geared to the completion of a portion of a picture, which time of completion may have no relation to normal working hours.

201.7. An employer who lays off an employee or a group of employees engaged in the business of oil drilling shall be deemed to have made immediate payment within the meaning of Section 201 if the wages of such employees are paid within such reasonable time as may be necessary for computation or payment thereof; provided, however, that such reasonable time shall not exceed 24 hours after discharge excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays; and provided further, such payment may be mailed and the date of mailing is the date of payment.

The Legislature finds and determines that special provision must be made for the payment of wages on discharge of employees engaged in oil drilling because their employment at various locations is often far removed from the employer's principal administrative offices, which makes the computation and payment of wages on an immediate basis unduly burdensome.

Enployee who quits

202. If an employee not having a written contract for a definite period quits his or her employment, his or her wages shall become due and payable not later than 72 hours thereafter, unless the employee has given 72 hours previous notice of his or her intention to quit, in which case the employee is entitled to his or her wages at the time of quitting. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an employee who quits without providing a 72-hour notice shall be entitled to receive payment by mail if he or she so requests and designates a mailing address. The date of the mailing shall constitute the date of payment for purposes of the requirement to provide payment within 72 hours of the notice of quitting.

Willful failure to pay

203. If an employer willfully fails to pay, without abatement or reduction, in accordance with Sections 201, 201.5, 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. An employee who secretes or absents himself or herself to avoid payment to him or her, or who refuses to receive the payment when fully tendered to him or her, including any penalty then accrued under this section, is not entitled to any benefit under this section for the time during which he or she so avoids payment.

Suit may be filed for these penalties at any time before the expiration of the statute of limitations on an action for the wages from which the penalties arise.

Insufficient funds check

203.1. If an employer pays an employee in the regular course of employment or in accordance with Section 201, 201.5, 201.7, or 202 any wages or fringe benefits, or both, by check, draft or voucher, which check, draft or voucher is subsequently refused payment because the employer or maker has no account with the bank, institution, or person on which the instrument is drawn, or has insufficient funds in the account upon which the instrument is drawn at the time of its presentation, so long as the same is presented within 30 days of receipt by the employee of the check, draft or voucher, those wages or fringe benefits, or both, shall continue as a penalty from the due date thereof at the same rate until paid or until an action therefor is commenced. However, those wages and fringe benefits shall not continue for more than 30 days and this penalty shall not apply if the employer can establish to the satisfaction of the Labor Commissioner or an appropriate court of law that the violation of this section was unintentional. This penalty also shall not apply in any case in which an employee recovers the service charge authorized by Section 1719 of the Civil Code in an action brought by the employee thereunder.

203.5.

(a) If a bonding company issuing a bond which secures the payment of wages for labor or the surety on a bond willfully fails to pay, without abatement or reduction, any verified claim made for wages found to be due and payable, the claim for wages shall continue as a penalty against the bonding company or surety from the date on which demand for payment was made at the same rate until paid as the wages upon which the claim is based, except that the claim shall not continue as a penalty for more than 30 days.

(b) This section shall not apply to contractor's bonds required pursuant to Section 7071.6 of the Business and Professions Code.

Payment of wages - timing

204. All wages, other than those mentioned in Section 201, 202, 204.1, or 204. 2, earned by any person in any employment are due and payable twice during each calendar month, on days designated in advance by the employer as the regular paydays. Labor performed between the 1st and 15th days, inclusive, of any calendar month shall be paid for between the 16th and the 26th day of the month during which the labor was performed, and labor performed between the 16th and the last day, inclusive, of any calendar month, shall be paid for between the 1st and 10th day of the following month. However, salaries of executive, administrative, and professional employees of employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, as set forth pursuant to Section 13(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, as amended through March 1, 1969, in Part 541 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as that part now reads or may be amended to read at any time hereafter, may be paid once a month on or before the 26th day of the month during which the labor was performed if the entire month's salaries, including the unearned portion between the date of payment and the last day of the month, are paid at that time.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, all wages earned for labor in excess of the normal work period shall be paid no later than the payday for the next regular payroll period.

However, when employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that provides different pay arrangements, those arrangements shall apply to the covered employees.

The requirements of this section shall be deemed satisfied by the payment of wages for weekly, biweekly, or semimonthly payroll if the wages are paid not more than seven calendar days following the close of the payroll period.

Employers

204a. When workers are engaged in an employment that normally involves working for several employers in the same industry interchangeably, and the several employers, or some of them, cooperate to establish a plan for the payment of wages at a central place or places and in accordance with a unified schedule of pay days, all the provisions of this chapter except 201, 202, and 208 shall apply. All such workers, including those who have been discharged and those who quit, shall receive their wages at such central place or places.

This section shall not apply to any such plan until 10 days after notice of their intention to set up such a plan shall have been given to the Labor Commissioner by the employers who cooperate to establish the plan. Having once been established, no such plan can be abandoned except after notice of their intention to abandon such plan has been given to the Labor Commissioner by the employers intending to abandon the plan.

204b. Section 204 shall be inapplicable to employees paid on a weekly basis on a regular day designated by the employer in advance of the rendition of services as the regular payday.

Labor performed by a weekly-paid employee during any calendar week and prior to or on the regular payday shall be paid for not later than the regular payday of the employer for such weekly-paid employee falling during the following calendar week.

Labor performed by a weekly-paid employee during any calendar week and subsequent to the regular payday shall be paid for not later than seven days after the regular payday of the employer for such weekly-paid employee falling during the following calendar week.

204c. Section 204 shall be inapplicable to executive, administrative or professional employees who are not covered by any collective bargaining agreement, who are not subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, whose monthly remuneration does not include overtime pay, and who are paid within seven days of the close of their monthly payroll period.

204.1. Commission wages paid to any person employed by an employer licensed as a vehicle dealer by the Department of Motor Vehicles are due and payable once during each calendar month on a day designated in advance by the employer as the regular payday. Commission wages are compensation paid to any person for services rendered in the sale of such employer's property or services and based proportionately upon the amount or value thereof.

The provisions of this section shall not apply if there exists a collective bargaining agreement between the employer and his employees which provides for the date on which wages shall be paid.

204.2. Salaries of executive, administrative, and professional employees of employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, as set forth pursuant to Section 13(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended through March 1, 1969, (Title 29, Section 213 (a)(1), United States Code) in Part 541 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as that part now reads, earned for labor performed in excess of 40 hours in a calendar week are due and payable on or before the 26th day of the calendar month immediately following the month in which such labor was performed. However, when such employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that provides different pay arrangements, those arrangements will apply to the covered employees.

Overtime

204.3.
(a) An employee may receive, in lieu of overtime compensation, compensating time off at a rate of not less than one and one-half hours for each hour of employment for which overtime compensation is required by law. If an hour of employment would otherwise be compensable at a rate of more than one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of compensation, then the employee may receive compensating time off commensurate with the higher rate.

(b) An employer may provide compensating time off under subdivision (a) if the following four conditions are met:

(1) The compensating time off is provided pursuant to applicable provisions of a collective bargaining agreement, memorandum of understanding, or other written agreement between the employer and the duly authorized representative of the employer's employees; or, in the case of employees not covered by the aforementioned agreement or memorandum of understanding, pursuant to a written agreement entered into between the employer and employee before the performance of the work.

(2) The employee has not accrued compensating time in excess of the limit prescribed by subdivision (c).

(3) The employee has requested, in writing, compensating time off in lieu of overtime compensation.

(4) The employee is regularly scheduled to work no less than 40 hours in a workweek.

(c)

(1) An employee may not accrue more than 240 hours of compensating time off. Any employee who has accrued 240 hours of compensating time off shall, for any additional overtime hours of work, be paid overtime compensation.

(2) If compensation is paid to an employee for accrued compensating time off, the compensation shall be paid at the regular rate earned by the employee at the time the employee receives payment.

(d) An employee who has accrued compensating time off authorized to be provided under subdivision (a) shall, upon termination of employment, be paid for the unused compensating time at a rate of compensation not less than the average regular rate received by the employee during the last three years of the employee's employment, or the final regular rate received by the employee, whichever is higher.

(e)

(1) An employee who has accrued compensating time off authorized to be provided under subdivision (a), and who has requested the use of that compensating time, shall be permitted by the employee's employer to use the time within a reasonable period after making the request, if the use of the compensating time does not unduly disrupt the operations of the employer.

(2) Upon the request of an employee, the employer shall pay overtime compensation in cash in lieu of compensating time off for any compensating time off that has accrued for at least two pay periods.

(3) For purposes of determining whether a request to use compensating time has been granted within a reasonable period, the following factors shall be relevant:

(A) The normal schedule of work.

(B) Anticipated peak workloads based on past experience.

(C) Emergency requirements for staff and services.

(D) The availability of qualified substitute staff.

(f) Every employer shall keep records that accurately reflect compensating time earned and used.

(g) For purposes of this section, the terms "compensating time" and "compensating time off" mean hours during which an employee is not working, which are not counted as hours worked during the applicable workweek or other work period for purposes of overtime compensation, and for which the employee is compensated at the employee's regular rate.

(h) This section shall not apply to any employee exempt from the overtime provisions of the California wage orders.

(i) This section shall not apply to any employee who is subject to the following wage orders of the Industrial Welfare Commission: Orders No. 8-80, 13-80, and 14-80 (affecting industries handling products after harvest, industries preparing agricultural products for market on the farm, and agricultural occupations), Order No. 3-80 (affecting the canning, freezing, and preserving industry), Orders No. 5-89 and 10-89 (affecting the public housekeeping and amusement and recreation industries), and Order No. 1-89 (affecting the manufacturing industry).

Agricultural employees

205. In agricultural, viticultural, and horticultural pursuits, in stock or poultry raising, and in household domestic service, when the employees in such employments are boarded and lodged by the employer, the wages due any employee remaining in such employment shall become due and payable once in each calendar month on a day designated in advance by the employer as the regular payday. No two successive paydays shall be more than 31 days apart, and the payment shall include all wages up to the regular payday. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, wages of workers employed by a farm labor contractor shall be paid on payroll periods at least once every week on a business day designated in advance by the farm labor contractor. Payment on such payday shall include all wages earned up to and including the fourth day before such payday.

205.5. All wages, other than those mentioned in Sections 201 and 202, earned by any agricultural employee, as defined in Section 1140.4, are due and payable twice during each calendar month, on days designated in advance by the agricultural employer as the regular paydays. Labor performed between the 1st and the 15th days, inclusive, of any calendar month shall be paid between the 16th and the 22nd day of the month during which the labor was performed. Labor performed between the 16th and the last day, inclusive, of any calendar month shall be paid between the first and the seventh day of the following month. Agricultural employees, as used in this section, shall not include those employees who are covered by Section 205.

Wage disputes

206.

(a) In case of a dispute over wages, the employer shall pay, without condition and within the time set by this article, all wages, or parts thereof, conceded by him to be due, leaving to the employee all remedies he might otherwise be entitled to as to any balance claimed.

(b) If, after an investigation and hearing, the Labor Commissioner has determined the validity of any employee's claim for wages, the claim is due and payable within 10 days after receipt of notice by the employer that such wages are due. Any employer having the ability to pay who willfully fails to pay such wages within 10 days shall, in addition to any other applicable penalty, pay treble the amount of any damages accruing to the employee as a direct and foreseeable consequence of such failure to pay.

206.5. No employer shall require the execution of any release of any claim or right on account of wages due, or to become due, or made as an advance on wages to be earned, unless payment of such wages has been made. Any release required or executed in violation of the provisions of this section shall be null and void as between the employer and the employee and the violation of the provisions of this section shall be a misdemeanor.

Postings

207. Every employer shall keep posted conspicuously at the place of work, if practicable, or otherwise where it can be seen as employees come or go to their places of work, or at the office or nearest agency for payment kept by the employer, a notice specifying the regular pay days and the time and place of payment, in accordance with this article.

Discharged employees

208. Every employee who is discharged shall be paid at the place of discharge, and every employee who quits shall be paid at the office or agency of the employer in the county where the employee has been performing labor. All payments shall be made in the manner provided by law.

Strikes

209. In the event of any strike, the unpaid wages earned by striking employees shall become due and payable on the next regular pay day, and the payment or settlement thereof shall include all amounts due the striking employees without abatement or reduction. The employer shall return to each striking employee any deposit, money, or other guaranty required by him from the employee for the faithful performance of the duties of the employment.

Penalties

210. In addition to, and entirely independent and apart from, any other penalty provided in this article, every person who fails to pay the wages of each employee as provided in Sections 204, 204b,
204.1, 204.2, 205, 205.5, and 1197.5, shall be subject to a civil penalty as follows:

(a) For any initial violation, one hundred dollars ($100) for each failure to pay each employee.

(b) For each subsequent violation, or any willful or intentional violation, two hundred dollars ($200) for each failure to pay each employee, plus 25 percent of the amount unlawfully withheld.

The penalty shall be recovered by the Labor Commissioner as part of a hearing held to recover unpaid wages and penalties pursuant to this chapter or in an independent civil action. The action shall be brought in the name of the people of the State of California and the Labor Commissioner and the attorneys thereof may proceed and act for and on behalf of the people in bringing these actions. Twelve and one-half percent of the penalty recovered shall be paid into a fund within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency dedicated to educating employers about state labor laws, and the remainder shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund.

211. When action to recover such penalties is brought, no court costs shall be payable by the state or the division. Any sheriff or marshal who serves the summons in the action upon any defendant within his or her jurisdiction shall do so without cost to the division. The sheriff or marshal shall specify in the return what costs he or she would ordinarily have been entitled to for such service, and those costs and the other regular court costs that would have accrued were the action not on behalf of the state shall be made a part of any judgment recovered by the plaintiff and shall be paid out of the first money recovered on the judgment. Several causes of action for the penalties may be united in the same action without being separately stated. A demand is a prerequisite to the bringing of any action under this section or Section 210. The division on behalf of the state may accept and receipt for any penalties so paid, with or without suit.

212.

(a) No person, or agent or officer thereof, shall issue in payment of wages due, or to become due, or as an advance on wages to be earned:

(1) Any order, check, draft, note, memorandum, or other acknowledgment of indebtedness, unless it is negotiable and payable in cash, on demand, without discount, at some established place of business in the state, the name and address of which must appear on the instrument, and at the time of its issuance and for a reasonable time thereafter, which must be at least 30 days, the maker or drawer has sufficient funds in, or credit, arrangement, or understanding with the drawee for its payment.

(2) Any scrip, coupon, cards, or other thing redeemable, in merchandise or purporting to be payable or redeemable otherwise than in money.

(b) Where an instrument mentioned in subdivision (a) is protested or dishonored, the notice or memorandum of protest or dishonor is admissible as proof of presentation, nonpayment and protest and is presumptive evidence of knowledge of insufficiency of funds or credit with the drawee.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), if the drawee is a bank, the bank's address need not appear on the instrument and, in that case, the instrument shall be negotiable and payable in cash, on demand, without discount, at any place of business of the drawee chosen by the person entitled to enforce the instrument.

213. Nothing contained in Section 212 shall:

(a) Prohibit an employer from guaranteeing the payment of bills incurred by an employee for the necessaries of life or for the tools and implements used by the employee in the performance of his or her duties.

(b) Apply to counties, municipal corporations, quasi-municipal corporations, or school districts.

(c) Apply to students of nonprofit schools, colleges, universities, and other nonprofit educational institutions.

(d) Prohibit an employer from depositing wages due or to become due or an advance on wages to be earned in an account in any bank, savings and loan association, or credit union of the employee's choice with a place of business located in this state, provided that the employee has voluntarily authorized that deposit. If an employer discharges an employee or the employee quits, the employer may pay the wages earned and unpaid at the time the employee is discharged or quits by making a deposit authorized pursuant to this subdivision, provided that the employer complies with the provisions of this article relating to the payment of wages upon termination or quitting of employment.

214. Prosecution under section 212 may be brought either at the place where the alleged illegal order, check, draft, note, memorandum or other acknowledgment of wage indebtedness is issued or at the place where it is made payable.

215. Any person, or the agent, manager, superintendent or officer thereof, who violates any provision of Sections 204, 204b, 205, 207, 208, 209, or 212 is guilty of a misdemeanor. Any failure to keep posted any notice required by Section 207 is prima facie evidence of a violation of such sections.

216. In addition to any other penalty imposed by this article, any person, or an agent, manager, superintendent, or officer thereof is guilty of a misdemeanor, who: (a) Having the ability to pay, willfully refuses to pay wages due and payable after demand has been made. (b) Falsely denies the amount or validity thereof, or that the same is due, with intent to secure for himself, his employer or other person, any discount upon such indebtedness, or with intent to annoy, harass, oppress, hinder, delay, or defraud, the person to whom such indebtedness is due. 217. The Division of Labor Law Enforcement shall inquire diligently for any violations of this article, and, in cases which it deems proper, shall institute the actions for the penalties provided for in this article and shall enforce this article.

218. Nothing in this article shall limit the authority of the district attorney of any county or prosecuting attorney of any city to prosecute actions, either civil or criminal, for violations of this article or to enforce the provisions thereof independently and without specific direction of the division. Nothing in this article shall limit the right of any wage claimant to sue directly or through an assignee for any wages or penalty due him under this article.

Attorney fees

218.5. In any action brought for the nonpayment of wages, fringe benefits, or health and welfare or pension fund contributions, the court shall award reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the prevailing party if any party to the action requests attorney's fees and costs upon the initiation of the action. This section shall not apply to an action brought by the Labor Commissioner. This section shall not apply to a surety issuing a bond pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code or to an action to enforce a mechanics lien brought under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 3109) of Title 15 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code.

This section does not apply to any action for which attorney's fees are recoverable under Section 1194.

218.6. In any action brought for the nonpayment of wages, the court shall award interest on all due and unpaid wages at the rate of interest specified in subdivision (b) of Section 3289 of the Civil Code, which shall accrue from the date that the wages were due and payable as provided in Part 1 (commencing with Section 200) of Division 2.

More frequent payments

219. Nothing in this article shall in any way limit or prohibit the payment of wages at more frequent intervals, or in greater amounts, or in full when or before due, but no provision of this article can in any way be contravened or set aside by a private agreement, whether written, oral, or implied.

220. (a) Sections 201.5, 201.7, 203.1, 203.5, 204, 204a, 204b, 204c, 204.1, 205, and 205.5 do not apply to the payment of wages of employees directly employed by the State of California. Except as provided in subdivision (b), all other employment is subject to these provisions.

(b) Sections 200 to 211, inclusive, and Sections 215 to 219, inclusive, do not apply to the payment of wages of employees directly employed by any county, incorporated city, or town or other municipal corporation. All other employments are subject to these provisions.

220.2. Contributions to vacation allowances, pension or retirement funds, sick leave, and health and welfare benefits on behalf of persons employed by any county, political subdivision, incorporated city or town or other municipal corporations may be made in the same manner and on the same basis as made by private employers. Payments made by the employing agency to any such fund on behalf of any employee shall be in lieu of benefits such as vacation allowance, pension or retirement fund, sick leave, and health and welfare benefits which are now or may hereafter be granted directly by the employing agency in accordance with law.

This section shall only apply to nonpermanent laborers, workmen, and mechanics employed on an hourly or per diem basis.

The employing agency is empowered to determine the equitable application of this section to insure that the employees receive benefits comparable to, but not in excess of those provided in comparable private employment.

The employing agency shall make payments only to plans which meet the following standards:

1. A plan office is located within the State of California.

2. Any fund connected with the plan is required to be audited at least annually by an independent, licensed certified public accountant.

3. Each trustee or administrator of the fund or plan authorized to receive, handle, deal with or draw upon the assets of the fund or plan is required to be bonded.

Collection by employer

221. It shall be unlawful for any employer to collect or receive from an employee any part of wages theretofore paid by said employer to said employee.

Collective bargaining agreement

222. It shall be unlawful, in case of any wage agreement arrived at through collective bargaining, either wilfully or unlawfully or with intent to defraud an employee, a competitor, or any other person, to withhold from said employee any part of the wage agreed upon.

Fee for physical exams

222.5. No person shall withhold or deduct from the compensation of any employee, or require any prospective employee or applicant for employment to pay, any fee for, or cost of, any pre-employment medical or physical examination taken as a condition of employment, nor shall any person withhold or deduct from the compensation of any employee, or require any employee to pay any fee for, or costs of, medical or physical examinations required by any law or regulation of federal, state or local governments or agencies thereof.

223. Where any statute or contract requires an employer to maintain the designated wage scale, it shall be unlawful to secretly pay a lower wage while purporting to pay the wage designated by statute or by contract.

Lawful withholdings

224. The provisions of Sections 221, 222 and 223 shall in no way make it unlawful for an employer to withhold or divert any portion of an employee's wages when the employer is required or empowered so to do by state or federal law or when a deduction is expressly authorized in writing by the employee to cover insurance premiums, hospital or medical dues, or other deductions not amounting to a rebate or deduction from the standard wage arrived at by collective bargaining or pursuant to wage agreement or statute, or when a deduction to cover health and welfare or pension plan contributions is expressly authorized by a collective bargaining or wage agreement.

Nothing in this section or any other provision of law shall be construed as authorizing an employer to withhold or divert any portion of an employee's wages to pay any tax, fee or charge prohibited by Section 50026 of the Government Code, whether or not the employee authorizes such withholding or diversion.

225. The violation of any provision of Sections 221, 222, 222.5, or 223 is a misdemeanor.

Civil penalties

225.5. In addition to, and entirely independent and apart from, any other penalty provided in this article, every person who unlawfully withholds wages due any employee in violation of Section
212, 216, 221, 222, or 223 shall be subject to a civil penalty as follows:

(a) For any initial violation, one hundred dollars ($100) for each failure to pay each employee.
(b) For each subsequent violation, or any willful or intentional violation, two hundred dollars ($200) for each failure to pay each employee, plus 25 percent of the amount unlawfully withheld.

The penalty shall be recovered by the Labor Commissioner as part of a hearing held to recover unpaid wages and penalties or in an independent civil action. The action shall be brought in the name of the people of the State of California and the Labor Commissioner and attorneys thereof may proceed and act for and on behalf of the people in bringing the action. Twelve and one-half percent of the penalty recovered shall be paid into a fund within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency dedicated to educating employers about state labor laws, and the remainder shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund.

Itemization of wages paid and Records 

226.
(a) Every employer shall, semimonthly or at the time of each
payment of wages, furnish each of his or her employees, either as a
detachable part of the check, draft, or voucher paying the employee's
wages, or separately when wages are paid by personal check or cash,
an accurate itemized statement in writing showing (1) gross wages
earned, (2) total hours worked by the employee, except for any
employee whose compensation is solely based on a salary and who is
exempt from payment of overtime under subdivision (a) of Section 515
or any applicable order of the Industrial Welfare Commission, (3) the
number of piece-rate units earned and any applicable piece rate if
the employee is paid on a piece-rate basis, (4) all deductions,
provided that all deductions made on written orders of the employee
may be aggregated and shown as one item, (5) net wages earned, (6)
the inclusive dates of the period for which the employee is paid, (7)
the name of the employee and the last four digits of his or her
social security number or an employee identification number other
than a social security number, (8) the name and address of the legal
entity that is the employer and, if the employer is a farm labor
contractor, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1682, the name
and address of the legal entity that secured the services of the
employer, and (9) all applicable hourly rates in effect during the
pay period and the corresponding number of hours worked at each
hourly rate by the employee. The deductions made from payment of
wages shall be recorded in ink or other indelible form, properly
dated, showing the month, day, and year, and a copy of the statement
and the record of the deductions shall be kept on file by the
employer for at least three years at the place of employment or at a
central location within the State of California.
   (b) An employer that is required by this code or any regulation
adopted pursuant to this code to keep the information required by
subdivision (a) shall afford current and former employees the right
to inspect or copy records pertaining to their employment, upon
reasonable request to the employer. The employer may take reasonable
steps to ensure the identity of a current or former employee. If the
employer provides copies of the records, the actual cost of
reproduction may be charged to the current or former employee.
   (c) An employer who receives a written or oral request to inspect
or copy records pursuant to subdivision (b) pertaining to a current
or former employee shall comply with the request as soon as
practicable, but no later than 21 calendar days from the date of the
request. A violation of this subdivision is an infraction.
Impossibility of performance, not caused by or a result of a
violation of law, shall be an affirmative defense for an employer in
any action alleging a violation of this subdivision. An employer may
designate the person to whom a request under this subdivision will be
made.
   (d) This section does not apply to any employer of any person
employed by the owner or occupant of a residential dwelling whose
duties are incidental to the ownership, maintenance, or use of the
dwelling, including the care and supervision of children, or whose
duties are personal and not in the course of the trade, business,
profession, or occupation of the owner or occupant.
   (e) An employee suffering injury as a result of a knowing and
intentional failure by an employer to comply with subdivision (a) is
entitled to recover the greater of all actual damages or fifty
dollars ($50) for the initial pay period in which a violation occurs
and one hundred dollars ($100) per employee for each violation in a
subsequent pay period, not exceeding an aggregate penalty of four
thousand dollars ($4,000), and is entitled to an award of costs and
reasonable attorney's fees.
   (f) A failure by an employer to permit a current or former
employee to inspect or copy records within the time set forth in
subdivision (c) entitles the current or former employee or the Labor
Commissioner to recover a seven-hundred-fifty-dollar ($750) penalty
from the employer.
   (g) The listing by an employer of the name and address of the
legal entity that secured the services of the employer in the
itemized statement required by subdivision (a) shall not create any
liability on the part of that legal entity.
   (h) An employee may also bring an action for injunctive relief to
ensure compliance with this section, and is entitled to an award of
costs and reasonable attorney's fees.
   (i) This section does not apply to the state, to any city, county,
city and county, district, or to any other governmental entity,
except that if the state or a city, county, city and county,
district, or other governmental entity furnishes its employees with a
check, draft, or voucher paying the employee's wages, the state or a
city, county, city and county, district, or other governmental
entity shall use no more than the last four digits of the employee's
social security number or shall use an employee identification number
other than the social security number on the itemized statement
provided with the check, draft, or voucher.  [Effective 1/1/2012]

226.3. Any employer who violates subdivision (a) of Section 226 shall be subject to a civil penalty in the amount of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per employee per violation in an initial citation and one thousand dollars ($1,000) per employee for each violation in a subsequent citation, for which the employer fails to provide the employee a wage deduction statement or fails to keep the records required in subdivision (a) of Section 226. The civil penalties provided for in this section are in addition to any other penalty provided by law. In enforcing this section, the Labor Commissioner shall take into consideration whether the violation was inadvertent, and in his or her discretion, may decide not to penalize an employer for a first violation when that violation was due to a clerical error or inadvertent mistake. 

226.4. If, upon inspection or investigation, the Labor Commissioner determines that an employer is in violation of subdivision (a) of Section 226, the Labor Commissioner may issue a citation to the person in violation. The citation may be served personally or by registered mail in accordance with subdivision (c) of Section 11505 of the Government Code. Each citation shall be in writing and shall describe the nature of the violation, including reference to the statutory provision alleged to have been violated.

226.5.

(a) If a person desires to contest a citation or the proposed assessment of a civil penalty therefor, he or she shall within 15 business days after service of the citation notify the office of the Labor Commissioner which appears on the citation of his or her request for an informal hearing. The Labor Commissioner or his or her deputy or agent shall, within 30 days, hold a hearing at the conclusion of which the citation or proposed assessment of a civil penalty shall be affirmed, modified, or dismissed. The decision of the Labor Commissioner shall consist of a notice of findings, findings, and order which shall be served on all parties to the hearing within 15 days after the hearing by regular first-class mail at the last known address of the party on file with the Labor Commissioner. Service shall be completed pursuant to Section 1013 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Any amount found due by the Labor Commissioner as a result of a hearing shall become due and payable 45 days after notice of the findings and written findings and order have been mailed to the party assessed. A writ of mandate may be taken from this finding to the appropriate superior court, as long as the party agrees to pay any judgment and costs ultimately rendered by the court against the party for the assessment. The writ shall be taken within 45 days of service of the notice of findings, findings, and order thereon.

(b) A person to whom a citation has been issued shall, in lieu of contesting a citation pursuant to this section, transmit to the office of the Labor Commissioner designated on the citation the amount specified for the violation within 15 business days after issuance of the citation.

(c) When no petition objecting to a citation or the proposed assessment of a civil penalty is filed, a certified copy of the citation or proposed civil penalty may be filed by the Labor Commissioner in the office of the clerk or the superior court in any county in which the person assessed has or had a place of business. The clerk, immediately upon the filing, shall enter judgment for the state against the person assessed in the amount shown on the citation or proposed assessment of a civil penalty.

(d) When findings and the order thereon are made affirming or modifying a citation or proposed assessment of a civil penalty after hearing, a certified copy of these findings and the order entered thereon may be entered by the Labor Commissioner in the office of the clerk of the superior court in any county in which the person assessed has property or in which the person assessed has or had a place of business. The clerk, immediately upon the filing, shall enter judgment for the state against the person assessed in the amount shown on the certified order.

(e) A judgment entered pursuant to this section shall bear the same rate of interest and shall have the same effect as other judgments and be given the same preference allowed by the law on other judgments rendered for claims for taxes. The clerk shall make no charge for the service provided by this section to be performed by him or her.

226.6.

Any employer who knowingly and intentionally violates the provisions of Section 226 or 226.2, or any officer, agent, employee, fiduciary, or other person who has the control, receipt, custody, or disposal of, or pays, the wages due any employee, and who knowingly and intentionally participates or aids in the violation of any provision of Section 226 or 226.2 is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or be imprisoned not to exceed one year, or both, at the discretion of the court. That fine or imprisonment, or both, shall be in addition to any other penalty provided by law.

Work during meal or rest period

226.7.

(a) No employer shall require any employee to work during any meal or rest period mandated by an applicable order of the Industrial Welfare Commission.

(b) If an employer fails to provide an employee a meal period or rest period in accordance with an applicable order of the Industrial Welfare Commission, the employer shall pay the employee one additional hour of pay at the employee's regular rate of compensation for each work day that the meal or rest period is not provided.

Paid benefits

227. Whenever an employer has agreed with any employee to make payments to a health or welfare fund, pension fund or vacation plan, or other such plan for the benefit of the employees, or a negotiated industrial promotion fund, or has entered into a collective bargaining agreement providing for such payments, it shall be unlawful for such an employer willfully or with intent to defraud to fail to make the payments required by the terms of any such agreement. A violation of any provision of this section where the amount the employer failed to pay into the fund or funds exceeds five hundred dollars ($500) shall be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for a period of not more than five years or in the county jail for a period of not more than one year, by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both such imprisonment and fine. All other violations shall be punishable as a misdemeanor.

Paid vacations

227.3. Unless otherwise provided by a collective-bargaining agreement, whenever a contract of employment or employer policy provides for paid vacations, and an employee is terminated without having taken off his vested vacation time, all vested vacation shall be paid to him as wages at his final rate in accordance with such contract of employment or employer policy respecting eligibility or time served; provided, however, that an employment contract or employer policy shall not provide for forfeiture of vested vacation time upon termination. The Labor Commissioner or a designated representative, in the resolution of any dispute with regard to vested vacation time, shall apply the principles of equity and fairness.

227.5. Whenever an employer has agreed with any employee to make payments to a health or welfare fund, pension fund or vacation plan, or such other plan for the benefit of the employee, or has entered into a collective bargaining agreement providing for such payments, the employer upon written request of the employee shall furnish such employee annually a statement indicating whether or not such payments have been made and for what periods.

232. No employer shall do any of the following:

(a) Require, as a condition of employment, that any employee refrain from disclosing the amount of his or her wages.

(b) Require any employee to sign a waiver or other document which purports to deny the employee the right to disclose the amount of his or her wages.

(c) Discharge, formally discipline, or otherwise discriminate against, for job advancement, an employee who discloses the amount of his or her wages.

Bond

240. (a) If any employer has been convicted of a violation of any
provision of this article, or if any judgment against an employer
for nonpayment of wages remains unsatisfied for a period of 10 days
after the time to appeal therefrom has expired, and no appeal
therefrom is then pending, the Labor Commissioner may require the
employer to deposit a bond in such sum as the Labor Commissioner may
deem sufficient and adequate in the circumstances, to be approved by
the Labor Commissioner. The bond shall be payable to the Labor
Commissioner and shall be conditioned that the employer shall, for a
definite future period, not exceeding two years, pay the employees in
accordance with the provisions of this article, and shall be further
conditioned upon the payment by the employer of any judgment which
may be recovered against the employer pursuant to the provisions of
this article.
   (b) If an order to post a bond issued against an employer under
this section remains unsatisfied for a period of 10 days after the
time to appeal therefrom has expired, and no appeal from the order is
then pending, the Labor Commissioner may require the employer to
provide an accounting of assets of the employer, including a list of
all bank accounts, accounts receivable, personal property, real
property, automobiles or other vehicles, and any other assets, in a
form and manner as prescribed by the Labor Commissioner. An employer
shall provide an amended accounting of assets, if ordered by the
Labor Commissioner to do so. If, within 10 days after a demand for an
accounting of assets, made by certified or registered mail, the
employer fails to provide an accounting, or if the employer fails to
provide an amended accounting after receiving a demand by the Labor
Commissioner to do so, the Labor Commissioner may bring an action in
the name and on behalf of the people of the State of California
against such employer to compel the employer to furnish the
accounting. An employer who fails to provide an accounting as
required by this subdivision shall be subject to a civil penalty not
to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
   (c) If, within 10 days after demand for the bond, which demand may
be made by mail, the employer fails to deposit the bond, the Labor
Commissioner may bring an action in the name and on behalf of the
people of the State of California against the employer in a court of
competent jurisdiction to compel the employer to furnish the bond or
to cease doing business until the employer has done so. The employer
has the burden of proving either that the bond is unnecessary or that
the amount demanded is excessive. If the court finds that there is
just cause for requiring the bond, and that the bond is reasonably
necessary or proper to secure prompt payment of the wages of the
employees of the employer and the employer's compliance with the
provisions of this article, the court may enjoin the employer,
whether an individual, partnership, corporation, company, trust, or
association, and such other person or persons as may have been or may be concerned with or in any way participating in the failure to pay
the wages resulting in the conviction or in the judgment, from doing
business until the requirement is met, and make other and further
orders appropriate to compel compliance with the requirement. [Effective 1/1/2012]

Temporary restraining order

243. (a) If, within 10 years of either a conviction for a
violation of this article or failing to satisfy a judgment for
nonpayment of wages, or of both, it is alleged that an employer on a
second occasion has been convicted of again violating this article or
is failing to satisfy a judgment for nonpayment of wages, an
employee or the employee's legal representative, an attorney licensed
to practice law in this state, may, on behalf of himself or herself
and others, bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction for
a temporary restraining order prohibiting the employer from doing
business in this state unless the employer deposits with the court a
bond to secure compliance by the employer with this article or to
satisfy the judgment for nonpayment of wages.
   (b) Upon the filing of an affidavit that, to the satisfaction of
the court, shows reasonable proof that an employer, for the second
time within 10 years, has been convicted of violating this article or
has failed to satisfy a judgment for the nonpayment of wages, or
both, the court may grant an order that prohibits the employer within
30 days from conducting any business within the state unless the
employer deposits a bond payable to the Labor Commissioner, with the
condition that the employer make wage payments in accordance with
this article, or that the employer pay any unsatisfied judgment for
nonpayment of wages, or both. The court shall order that the bond be
on deposit with the Labor Commissioner at all times within a
five-year period from the date of the order, that the employer
employs more than 10 employees. The court shall order that the bond
be in an amount equal to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or 25
percent of the weekly gross payroll of the employer at the time of
the posting of the bond, whichever is greater, and that the term of
the bond be for the duration of the service of the employee who brought the action, until past due wages have been paid, or until satisfaction of all judgments for nonpayment of wages. The bond shall also be payable for wages, interest on wages and for any damages arising from any
violation of orders of the Industrial Welfare Commission, and for any
other monetary relief awarded to an employee as a result of a
violation of this code. To aid in the enforcement of this section,
upon a request by the Labor Commissioner or an employee bringing an
action pursuant to this section, the court may additionally require
the employer to provide an accounting of assets of the employer,
including a list of all bank accounts, accounts receivable, personal
property, real property, automobiles or other vehicles, and any other
assets, in a form and manner as prescribed by the court. An employer
shall provide an amended accounting of assets if ordered by the
court to do so. If, within 10 days after a demand for an accounting
of assets, which demand may be made by certified or registered mail,
the employer shall fail to provide an accounting, or if the employer
fails to provide an amended accounting being ordered to do so, the
court may take all appropriate action to enforce its order, including
the imposition of appropriate sanctions.
   (c) For purposes of subdivision (b), an employer shall be deemed
to have been convicted of having violated this article or to have
failed to satisfy a judgment for the second time within 10 years if,
to secure labor or personal services in connection with his or her
business, the employer uses the services of an agent, contractor, or
subcontractor who is convicted of a violation of this article or
fails to satisfy a judgment for wages respecting those employees, or
both, but only if the employer had actual knowledge of the person's
failure to pay wages. In issuing a temporary restraining order
pursuant to this section, the court, in determining the amount and
term of the bond, shall count the agent's, contractor's, or
subcontractor's employees as part of the employer's total workforce.
This subdivision shall not apply where a temporary restraining order
against the agent, contractor, or subcontractor as an employer has
been issued pursuant to subdivision (b).
   (d) An employer who, for the third time within 10 years of the
first occurrence, is alleged to have violated this article or to have
failed to satisfy a judgment for nonpayment of wages, or both, shall
be deemed by the court to have commenced a new five-year period for
which the posting of a bond may be ordered in accordance with
subdivision (b), except that the court may, in its discretion,
require the posting of a bond in a greater amount as it determines
appropriate under the circumstances.
   (e) A former employee who was a party to an earlier action against
an employer in which a judgment for the payment of wages was
obtained, and who alleges that the employer has failed to satisfy the
judgment for the payment of wages, in addition to any other
available remedy, may petition the court pursuant to subdivision (b)
for a temporary restraining order against the employer to cease doing
business in this state unless the employer posts a bond with the
court.
   (f) Actions brought pursuant to this section shall be set for
trial at the earliest possible date, and shall take precedence over
all other cases, except older matters of the same character and
matters to which special precedence may be given by law.
   (g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose any
mandatory duties on the Labor Commissioner. [Effective 1/1/2012]


Employer can not compel employee or applicant as to where to make a purchase.

450.

(a) No employer, or agent or officer thereof, or other person, may compel or coerce any employee, or applicant for employment, to patronize his or her employer, or any other person, in the purchase of any thing of value.

(b) For purposes of this section, to compel or coerce the purchase of any thing of value includes, but is not limited to, instances where an employer requires the payment of a fee or consideration of any type from an applicant for employment for any of the following purposes:

(1) For an individual to apply for employment orally or in writing.

(2) For an individual to receive, obtain, complete, or submit an application for employment.

(3) For an employer to provide, accept, or process an application for employment.

451. Any person, or agent or officer thereof, who violates this article is guilty of a misdemeanor.

452. Nothing in this article shall prohibit an employer from prescribing the weight, color, quality, texture, style, form and make of uniforms required to be worn by his employees.

Employee arriving late to work - deductions from wages.

2928. No deduction from the wages of an employee on account of his coming late to work shall be made in excess of the proportionate wage which would have been earned during the time actually lost, but for a loss of time less than thirty minutes, a half hour's wage may be deducted.

Labor Commissioner

96. The Labor Commissioner and his or her deputies and representatives authorized by him or her in writing shall, upon the filing of a claim therefor by an employee, or an employee representative authorized in writing by an employee, with the Labor Commissioner, take assignments of:

(a) Wage claims and incidental expense accounts and advances.

(b) Mechanics' and other liens of employees.

(c) Claims based on "stop orders" for wages and on bonds for labor.

(d) Claims for damages for misrepresentations of conditions of employment.

(e) Claims for unreturned bond money of employees.

(f) Claims for penalties for nonpayment of wages.

(g) Claims for the return of workers' tools in the illegal possession of another person.

(h) Claims for vacation pay, severance pay, or other compensation supplemental to a wage agreement.

(i) Awards for workers' compensation benefits in which the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board has found that the employer has failed to secure payment of compensation and where the award remains unpaid more than 10 days after having become final.

(j) Claims for loss of wages as the result of discharge from employment for the garnishment of wages.

(k) Claims for loss of wages as the result of demotion, suspension, or discharge from employment for lawful conduct occurring during nonworking hours away from the employer's premises.

96.3. In cases where employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the collective bargaining representative by virtue of such agreement may be the assignee of all such covered employees for purposes of filing claims for wages with the Labor Commissioner, subject to the option of the employee to reject such representation and to represent himself or herself.

96.5. The Labor Commissioner shall conduct such hearings as may be necessary for the purpose of Section 7071.11 of the Business and Professions Code. In any action to recover upon a cash deposit after a determination made under Section 7071.11, the Labor Commissioner shall certify in writing to the appropriate court that he has heard and determined the validity of claims and demands and that the sum specified therein is the amount found due and payable. The certificate of the commissioner shall be considered by the court but shall not, by itself, be sufficient evidence to support a judgment.

96.6. The Industrial Relations Unpaid Wage Fund is hereby created as a special fund in the State Treasury, which is continuously appropriated for the purposes of subdivision (c) of Section 96.7.

96.7. The Labor Commissioner, after investigation and upon determination that wages or monetary benefits are due and unpaid to any worker in the State of California, may collect such wages or benefits on behalf of the worker without assignment of such wages or benefits to the commissioner.

(a) The Labor Commissioner shall act as trustee of all such collected unpaid wages or benefits, and shall deposit such collected moneys in the Industrial Relations Unpaid Wage Fund.

(b) The Labor Commissioner shall make a diligent search to locate any worker for whom the Labor Commissioner has collected unpaid wages or benefits.

(c) All wages or benefits collected under this section shall be remitted to the worker, his lawful representative, or to any trust or custodial fund established under a plan to provide health and welfare, pension, vacation, retirement, or similar benefits from the Industrial Relations Unpaid Wage Fund.

(d) Any unpaid wages or benefits collected by the Labor Commissioner pursuant to this section shall be retained in the Industrial Relations Unpaid Wage Fund until remitted pursuant to subdivision (c), or until deposited in the General Fund pursuant to subdivision (e).

(e) Whenever the balance in the Industrial Relations Unpaid Wage Fund is in excess of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000), the Labor Commissioner shall transmit this excess amount to the Controller for deposit in the General Fund.

(f) All wages or benefits collected under this section which cannot be remitted from the Industrial Relations Unpaid Wage Fund pursuant to subdivision (c) because money has been transmitted to the General Fund pursuant to subdivision (e) shall be paid out of the General Fund from funds appropriated for that purpose.

Wage Theft Protection Act

98.  (a) The Labor Commissioner is authorized to investigate
employee complaints. The Labor Commissioner may provide for a hearing
in any action to recover wages, penalties, and other demands for
compensation, including liquidated damages if the complaint alleges
payment of a wage less than the minimum wage fixed by an order of the
Industrial Welfare Commission or by statute, properly before the
division or the Labor Commissioner, including orders of the
Industrial Welfare Commission, and shall determine all matters
arising under his or her jurisdiction. It is within the jurisdiction
of the Labor Commissioner to accept and determine claims from holders
of payroll checks or payroll drafts returned unpaid because of
insufficient funds, if, after a diligent search, the holder is unable
to return the dishonored check or draft to the payee and recover the
sums paid out. Within 30 days of the filing of the complaint, the
Labor Commissioner shall notify the parties as to whether a hearing
will be held, whether action will be taken in accordance with Section
98.3, or whether no further action will be taken on the complaint.
If the determination is made by the Labor Commissioner to hold a
hearing, the hearing shall be held within 90 days of the date of that
determination. However, the Labor Commissioner may postpone or grant
additional time before setting a hearing if the Labor Commissioner
finds that it would lead to an equitable and just resolution of the
dispute. A party who has received actual notice of a claim before the
Labor Commissioner shall, while the matter is before the Labor
Commissioner, notify the Labor Commissioner in writing of any change
in that party's business or personal address within 10 days after the
change in address occurs.
   It is the intent of the Legislature that hearings held pursuant to
this section be conducted in an informal setting preserving the
rights of the parties.
   (b) When a hearing is set, a copy of the complaint, which shall
include the amount of compensation requested, together with a notice
of time and place of the hearing, shall be served on all parties,
personally or by certified mail, or in the manner specified in
Section 415.20 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
   (c) Within 10 days after service of the notice and the complaint,
a defendant may file an answer with the Labor Commissioner in any
form as the Labor Commissioner may prescribe, setting forth the
particulars in which the complaint is inaccurate or incomplete and
the facts upon which the defendant intends to rely.
   (d) No pleading other than the complaint and answer of the
defendant or defendants shall be required. Both shall be in writing
and shall conform to the form and the rules of practice and procedure
adopted by the Labor Commissioner.
   (e) Evidence on matters not pleaded in the answer shall be allowed
only on terms and conditions the Labor Commissioner shall impose. In
all these cases, the claimant shall be entitled to a continuance for
purposes of review of the new evidence.
   (f) If the defendant fails to appear or answer within the time
allowed under this chapter, no default shall be taken against him or
her, but the Labor Commissioner shall hear the evidence offered and
shall issue an order, decision, or award in accordance with the
evidence. A defendant failing to appear or answer, or subsequently
contending to be aggrieved in any manner by want of notice of the
pendency of the proceedings, may apply to the Labor Commissioner for
relief in accordance with Section 473 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
The Labor Commissioner may afford this relief. No right to relief,
including the claim that the findings or award of the Labor
Commissioner or judgment entered thereon are void upon their face,
shall accrue to the defendant in any court unless prior application
is made to the Labor Commissioner in accordance with this chapter.
   (g) All hearings conducted pursuant to this chapter are governed
by the division and by the rules of practice and procedure adopted by
the Labor Commissioner.
   (h) (1) Whenever a claim is filed under this chapter against a
person operating or doing business under a fictitious business name,
as defined in Section 17900 of the Business and Professions Code,
which relates to the person's business, the division shall inquire at
the time of the hearing whether the name of the person is the legal
name under which the business or person has been licensed,
registered, incorporated, or otherwise authorized to do business.
   (2) The division may amend an order, decision, or award to conform
to the legal name of the business or the person who is the defendant
to a wage claim, if it can be shown that proper service was made on
the defendant or his or her agent, unless a judgment had been entered
on the order, decision, or award pursuant to subdivision (d) of
Section 98.2. The Labor Commissioner may apply to the clerk of the
superior court to amend a judgment that has been issued pursuant to a
final order, decision, or award to conform to the legal name of the
defendant, if it can be shown that proper service was made on the
defendant or his or her agent.  (Effective 1/1/2012)

350. As used in this article, unless the context indicates otherwise:

(a) "Employer" means every person engaged in any business or enterprise in this state that has one or more persons in service under any appointment, contract of hire, or apprenticeship, express or implied, oral or written, irrespective of whether the person is the owner of the business or is operating on a concessionaire or other basis.

(b) "Employee" means every person, including aliens and minors, rendering actual service in any business for an employer, whether gratuitously or for wages or pay, whether the wages or pay are measured by the standard of time, piece, task, commission, or other method of calculation, and whether the service is rendered on a commission, concessionaire, or other basis.

(c) "Employing" includes hiring, or in any way contracting for, the services of an employee.

(d) "Agent" means every person other than the employer having the authority to hire or discharge any employee or supervise, direct, or control the acts of employees.

(e) "Gratuity" includes any tip, gratuity, money, or part thereof that has been paid or given to or left for an employee by a patron of a business over and above the actual amount due the business for services rendered or for goods, food, drink, or articles sold or served to the patron. Any amounts paid directly by a patron to a dancer employed by an employer subject to Industrial Welfare Commission Order No. 5 or 10 shall be deemed a gratuity.

f) "Business" means any business establishment or enterprise, regardless of where conducted.

351. 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.

353. Every employer shall keep accurate records of all gratuities received by him, whether received directly from the employee or indirectly by means of deductions from the wages of the employee or otherwise. Such records shall be open to inspection at all reasonable hours by the department.

354. Any employer who violates any provision of this article is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment for not exceeding 60 days, or both.

355. The Department of Industrial Relations shall enforce the provisions of this article. All fines collected under this article shall be paid into the State treasury and credited to the general fund.

356. The Legislature expressly declares that the purpose of this article is to prevent fraud upon the public in connection with the practice of tipping and declares that this article is passed for a public reason and can not be contravened by a private agreement. As a part of the social public policy of this State, this article is binding upon all departments of the State.

Education Code

45048.

(a) Each salary payment for any calendar month may be made on the last working day of the month and shall be paid not earlier than the last working day of the month and not later than the fifth day of the succeeding calendar month except that teachers employed for less than full time in classes for adults, in a day or evening high school, or in a special day or evening class maintained in connection with an elementary school shall be paid on or before the 10th day of the succeeding calendar month for services performed during the preceding calendar month.

(b) If the school district provides for the payment of the salary of employees employed in positions requiring certification qualifications once each two weeks, twice a month, or once each four weeks, pursuant to Section 45038, each salary payment may be made on the last working day of the regular payroll period and shall be made not earlier than the last working day of the regular payroll period and not later than the eighth working day of the following regular payroll period.

(c) If a salary payment is not made timely as required by this section, the amount of the salary payment due shall be increased by an amount of interest on the unpaid amount for each day of delay.

(d) A certificated employee of a school district who qualifies for a salary increase shall be paid the increased salary not later than three regular pay periods or three months, whichever is longer, after the employee files proper documentation where required for the salary increase. The district shall additionally pay the employee daily interest on the amount owed to the employee calculated from the date that the employee was entitled to the salary increase if the school district does not pay the employee his or her salary increase within three regular pay periods or three months, whichever period is longer, after the employee files proper documentation where required for the salary increase. All amounts due the employee resulting from the salary increase and not paid to the employee at the time that the employee actually receives the salary increase shall be paid to the employee within 20 business days of the date that the employee actually received the salary increase. The district shall additionally pay the employee daily interest on the amount owed to the employee calculated from the date that the employee was entitled to the salary increase if the district does not pay the employee all amounts due the employee resulting from the salary increase within 20 business days following the date that the employee actually received the salary increase.

(e) The amount of interest required by subdivisions (c) and (d) shall be determined by the method established in Section 19521 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

(f) This section shall not prohibit a school district from making a payment of earned salary before the last working day of the month or regular payroll period.

45049.

(a) When any school district employs a certificated employee to perform teaching or other services in addition to his or her regular teaching duties, or when a school district employs a certificated employee to perform teaching or other services at a summer school maintained by the district, the district shall pay the employee for the services either in one lump sum or at an hourly, daily, biweekly, quadriweekly, or monthly rate of pay. If the pay is in one lump sum, the district shall pay the employee within 10 days after the termination of the services. If the pay is at an hourly, daily, biweekly, quadriweekly or monthly rate, the district shall pay the employee within 10 days after the end of each calendar month or regular pay period during which the services are performed.

(b) If a salary payment is not made timely as required by this section, the amount of the salary payment due shall be increased by an amount of interest on the unpaid amount for each day of delay.

(c) A certificated employee of a school district who qualifies for a salary increase shall be paid the increased salary not later than three regular pay periods or three months, whichever is longer, after the employee files proper documentation where required for the salary increase. The district shall additionally pay the employee daily interest on the amount owed to the employee calculated from the date that the employee was entitled to the salary increase if the school district does not pay the employee his or her salary increase within three regular pay periods or three months, whichever is longer, after the employee files proper documentation where required for the salary increase. All amounts due the employee resulting from the salary increase and not paid to the employee at the time that the employee actually receives the salary increase shall be paid to the employee within 20 business days of the date that the employee actually received the salary increase. The district shall additionally pay the employee daily interest on the amount owed to the employee calculated from the date that the employee was entitled to the salary increase if the district does not pay the employee all amounts due the employee resulting from the salary increase within 20 business days following the date that the employee actually received the salary increase.

(d) The amount of interest required by subdivisions (b) and (c) shall be determined by the method established in Section 19521 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.