This is big. If you can spare 60 seconds to read this article, you will find specific information related to public employees wages and overtime compiled especially for state and county employees. Your labor attorney can help you understand these too!

Secret 1: Yes, you can be paid overtime!

Under California Labor Law Overtime, the Fair Labor Standard Act provides extra benefits and certain guarantees to county and state workers like a minimum rate of pay for overtime pay. Eligible employees should be paid for the overtime at the rate of 1 ½ times the regular rate of pay for all the hours over 40 in a work week under overtime law.

The Fair Labor Standard Act has its precise rules for the county and state workers to be covered under the act; it also maintains account of the employees exempt from this Act. Under California Overtime Laws, exempt and non exempt are widespread terms notifying covered (non-exempt) and non-covered (exempt) in the Fair Labor Standards Act. According to California Overtime regulations, it is normally the employees holding a professional or managerial position that do not meet the requirements for the Fair Labor Standards Act in order to be paid overtime.

Secret 2: California Law Can Make You Eligible for Overtime

Fair Labor Standard law (with overtime law) also has certain rules and regulations categorized to different industries as restaurants (for example it can be rules about tipped employees etc), or there are certain rules for county and state workers as well. The majority of state workers earn modest salaries less than $50,000 annually, in addition to a nice pension and various other benefits. With California Labor Law Overtime, an increasing number of county and state workers earn more than $200,000 per year.

Several examples of the benefit of overtime law are: a state prison lieutenant earned $228,971 in 2005 (more than half in overtime pay); a doctor in San Quentin earned $299,040 in 2005 ($162,468 in overtime pay); and a former chief investment officer for the California Public Employee’s Retirement System earned $678,665 ($269,483 in performance bonuses).

“That’s more than the governor makes,” said a spokesman for the California Taxpayers’ Association. “I think the taxpayers should be concerned there are people earning such incredible amounts of money.”

When it comes down to it with California Overtime Laws, many county and state workers made the list of high earners did so only due to the fact they earned tens of thousands of dollars working extra shifts for overtime pay. Overtime law can be controversial because overtime can cost California more than hiring additional county and state workers.

Secret 3: The Impact on California due to Overtime for Public Employees

“Overtime can lead to increased use of employee sick time, greater employee turnover, added disability claims, more workplace injuries and loss of productivity,” noted in the 1999 audit with California Overtime. It’s a fact that the payroll of the state of California show that many county and state workers increased their salaries with other types of pay—mostly via overtime pay.

If you are a California employee and believe you are owed Overtime or your employer has violated your rights, take action now and talk to an Experienced California Labor Attorney.

By: Lars Sheckton