Employment & Unemployment – Employee Rights Center

Minimum Wage/Overtime Pay

Minimum Wage

A minimum wage is the lowest wage per hour that a worker may be paid according to each jurisdiction.

Over Time

Overtime laws determine the payable amount for the hours worked outside what is considered to be regular hours but it does not apply to all employees and usually depends on the kind of work you do.

Meal and Rest Periods

Under California meal break law, if you are a non-exempt worker, you are entitled to a 30-minute uninterrupted, duty-free meal break if you work more than 5 hours in a workday. You are also entitled to a 10-minute uninterrupted, duty-free rest breaks for every 4 hours you work. If your boss doesn’t comply with break law requirements, they are required to pay you one extra hour of regular pay for each day on which a meal break violation occurred, and another extra hour of regular pay for each day on which a rest break violation occurred.

At-Will Policy

California is an at-will employment state, which means an employer can terminate an employee without needing or providing a reason, with some exceptions, to the employee.

Wrongful Termination/Discrimination

Wrongful Termination

Employees who are fired in violation of an employment contract, for discriminatory reasons, or for exercising certain legal rights may have a wrongful termination claim.

Discrimination

Discrimination occurs when an employee or job applicant receives less favorable treatment because of a specific characteristic they have. In many cases, employers in California are prohibited by law from engaging in discrimination

Unemployment (UI)

The Unemployment Insurance (UI) program pays benefits to workers who have lost their job and meet the program’s eligibility requirements (Must have permission to lawfully work in the United States). If you have become unemployed or partially unemployed, you may file a UI claim. After you have filed a claim, you must continue to certify for benefits and meet eligibility requirements each week in order to receive benefit payments.