On September 22, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill No. 701 (“AB 701”), which makes it unlawful for employers to require nonexempt employees at warehouse distribution centers (“Covered Employee” or “Covered Employees”) to meet production quotas that prevent compliance with meal or rest periods, use of bathroom facilities (including reasonable travel time to and from bathroom facilities), or occupational health and safety laws (“Prohibitive Production Quota”). Employers are also prohibited from taking adverse action against Covered Employees for failing to meet a Prohibitive Production Quota. AB 701 will take effect January 1, 2022 (the “Effective Date”).
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Perkins Coie
California “Regular Rate of Pay” Refresher
In California, the “regular rate of pay” is a term of art. Calculating it is not necessarily straightforward and much of the law in this area is counterintuitive, so employers should familiarize themselves with the basics to prevent missteps that can result in significant derivative penalties. An employee’s regular rate of pay provides the basis for overtime compensation and meal and rest period premium payments for nonexempt employees. Cal. Lab. Code § 510; Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC, S259172 (Cal. July 15, 2021). Employers sometimes erroneously believe that a nonexempt employee’s hourly wage is the employee’s regular rate of pay. While the regular rate of pay can sometimes be the same as an nonexempt employee’s hourly wage, the correct answer is often more complex, and a series of formulas is required to derive a rate capturing all renumeration for hours worked by an nonexempt employee. Here is a refresher on how an employer should derive an employee’s regular rate of pay for a few common compensation types on a weekly basis.
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California Supreme Court Rules Meal and Rest Period Premium Pay Is Calculated in the Same Manner as Calculations for Overtime Regular Rate of Pay
On July 15, 2021, the California Supreme Court decided Jessica Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC, S259172 (Cal. S.Ct. July 15, 2021). The question before the Court was “whether the Legislature intended ‘regular rate of compensation’ under section 226.7(c) to have the same meaning as ‘regular rate of pay’ under section 510(a), such that the calculation of premium pay for a noncompliant meal, rest, or recovery period, like the calculation of overtime pay, must account for not only hourly wages but also other nondiscretionary payments for work performed by the employee.” Id. at 1.
Continue Reading California Supreme Court Rules Meal and Rest Period Premium Pay Is Calculated in the Same Manner as Calculations for Overtime Regular Rate of Pay