All California business owners should understand the details of both California and federal wage and hour laws.  The penalties for a violation of either could destroy a business that took years to build.  Even the smallest of businesses can benefit from having a business-specific employee policy manual to navigate the choppy waters of wage and hour law. 

According to the U.S. Department of Labor an estimated 80% of employers are not in compliance with either federal or state wage and hour laws.  Within recent years, a number of U.S. employers have found themselves on the opposite side of class-action lawsuits by workers who claim that they have been misclassified as contractors rather than employees, and not paid the overtime or given the required meal and rest periods due to employees.  As the recession drags on with more layoffs, longer work weeks, and a bare-bones work force, more claims are likely to arise. (more…)