Are you searching for information regarding wage and hour regulations for San Diego employers? The Watkins Firm understands how wage and hour regulations can overwhelm employers in San Diego and Southern California. Many area businesses are struggling to comply with the onslaught of new federal, state and local laws and regulations.
Minimum Wage in San Diego
The local minimum wage of $16.30 here in San Diego is a challenge for many employers, especially in the food and service industries.
Restaurant operators and other businesses that involve “tipping” have been forced to re-examine the nature of compensation and the controls in place to ensure that all employees are compensated in accordance with new minimum wage laws. Violations of federal, state and local wage and hour laws will lead to expensive litigation and significant penalties for employers.
Multiple Offices, Multi-State Operations and Split Shifts
Wage and hour regulations for San Diego and all of California impact those businesses with multiple offices in different areas of the state, multi-state operations and those who have employees who work split shifts.
Significant changes in the California Fair Pay Act recently have significant ramifications for employers with multiple offices throughout the State, as well as those who employ shift workers. Employers in California (and those out-of-state employers with offices in California) may not justify pay differential based upon the geographical location of an office. In other words, even though it is much more expensive to live in one city than a more rural town, an employer may not increase the compensation of one worker over another doing “essentially the same work” based upon their geographical location.
Employers with multiple shifts must be cautious when an employee crosses over the hours defined for each shift, or for those working a “split-shift.” Overtime calculations for these employees can become quite complex under the new law, and reporting requirements on associated wage documents have become more challenging for San Diego employers.
Many Recent Changes in Wage and Hour Regulations for San Diego Employers
There have been many recent changes in wage and hour regulations for San Diego Employers. Are you aware of changes related to bereavement leave and the “designated person?” Are you in compliance with new laws regarding the provision of pay data on job postings, issues associated with workers provided by labor contractors, employee record keeping and inspection requirements and workplace safety? Are you aware of the questions your employees are now allowed to ask you regarding pay scale for a given position?
These wage and hour regulations have overwhelmed many San Diego employers, and the costs for violating wage and hour laws can cripple many area businesses. The wage and hour attorneys at the Watkins Firm ensure that our clients conform with all federal, state and local wage and hour laws.
We work to strengthen all employment related documentation such as our client’s policies and procedures, employee handbook, and in many cases the employment contract itself. Management staff must be trained to ensure they fully understand and consistently implement company policies and procedures in compliance with all wage and hour laws and regulations.
We represent and defend Southern California employers in a broad range of employer-related disputes including wage and hour regulations for San Diego employers as well as PAGA actions.
We invite you to review two previous posts: “What do Employers in San Diego Need to Know for 2023” and “What Does CA SB 1162 Mean for San Diego Employers,” as well as two recent podcasts “Episode 26 – Wage and Hour Employer Updates for 2023” and “Episode 22 – Most Common Questions We Get from Employers” and contact us or call the Watkins Firm today for a free and substantive consultation at 858-535-1511.
