San Diego employers are reacting to changes in California’s Fair Pay Act and the impact it is having upon employees across the State of California.  One of the first major changes in the Fair Pay Act law relates to an employees right to be able to openly ask any other employee how much they are making, and the nature of their benefit packages.  This directly goes against many existing employer policy and procedure manuals, and internal training and practices of corporate management, not to mention the employee handbook.  All of these will require updating, and your management team must develop a new strategy for handling questions relating to pay and compensation.

Another issue raises significant questions about pay differentiation for shift work.  How can a San Diego employer legally pay more for second or third shift work and remain in compliance with changes in California’s Fair Pay Act in 2016?  There are valid “factors” for differentiating pay for what is “essentially the same work.”  This also means that the job title and job description is no longer enough to justify pay differential.  If employees are performing “essentially the same work” they must be paid equally, regardless of when they work or what physical location they work in.  What complications does this present for California employers with offices across the country?

The wage and hour attorneys at the Watkins Firm are well prepared to advise you and your management team on new strategies for establishing a pay scale that is fair across the board.  We work with our clients to gain a complete understanding of changes in California’s Fair Pay Act and the internal changes that are required to come into compliance with the new law.  These are challenging times for San Diego employers, and we invite you to contact us for a free and substantive consultation at 858-535-1511.  Learn about new employment laws for 2016, and how to protect your company from violations, and expensive litigation.