Supervising and training employees

Minimum wage and overtime

As of January 1, 2026, the California minimum wage is $16.90 per hour for all employers. Some cities and counties set a higher local minimum wage, and the employer must pay the highest rate that applies. To be exempt from overtime as an executive, administrative, or professional employee, a worker must meet a duties test and earn a monthly salary of at least two times the state minimum wage for full-time work. For 2026 that is $70,304 a year.

Labor Code §510 says eight hours of labor is a day's work. Overtime is based on both the workday and the workweek. Under Labor Code §500, a workday is any consecutive 24-hour period starting at the same time each calendar day, and a workweek is any seven consecutive days starting on the same calendar day each week. The 'seventh day' rule applies to the seventh day of work in one workweek.

Hours worked	Minimum pay rate
Over 8 hours in one workday	1.5 × regular rate
Over 40 hours in one workweek	1.5 × regular rate
First 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day of the workweek	1.5 × regular rate
Over 12 hours in one workday	2 × regular rate
Over 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day	2 × regular rate

Worked example

Math: a 13-hour day

A carpenter earns $30 per hour and works 13 hours on a Tuesday (not a 7th day).
Regular: 8 hours × $30 = $240.
Time-and-a-half: hours 9 through 12 = 4 hours × $45 = $180.
Double time: hour 13 = 1 hour × $60 = $60.
Total: $240 + $180 + $60.

Gross pay for the day is $480.

Exam trap

California overtime is daily, not only weekly. A worker who puts in four 10-hour days (40 hours) is still owed 8 hours of overtime (2 hours × 4 days) unless a valid alternative workweek schedule applies.

Meal and rest periods

First meal period: at least 30 minutes for a work period of more than 5 hours. It may be waived by mutual consent only if the total workday is no more than 6 hours.
Second meal period: at least 30 minutes for a work period of more than 10 hours. It may be waived by mutual consent only if total hours are no more than 12 and the first meal was not waived.
Rest periods (IWC Wage Order 16, construction): 10 minutes of paid net rest for every 4 hours worked or major fraction of 4 hours. No rest period is required if total daily work time is under 3½ hours.
Rest periods count as hours worked, with no deduction from wages (Labor Code §226.7).

Know this

Missed meal or rest period: the employer pays one additional hour of pay at the employee's regular rate for each workday the break was not provided (Labor Code §226.7).

Labor Code §512 lets construction employees covered by a qualifying collective bargaining agreement follow the meal rules in that agreement instead, if the agreement meets the conditions in the statute (for example, a regular hourly rate at least 30% above the state minimum wage).

Worked example

Scenario: an 11-hour pour day

A concrete crew is scheduled for 11 hours. The employer provides a 30-minute meal period that starts before the end of hour 5.
Because the work period is more than 10 hours, a second 30-minute meal period is required.
Total hours are not more than 12 and the first meal was not waived, so the worker and employer may agree to waive the second meal.
Rest periods: 11 hours is two full 4-hour blocks plus 3 hours, which is a major fraction of 4, so three 10-minute rest periods are authorized.

Two meal periods (the second may be waived by mutual consent) and three paid 10-minute rest periods.

Minimum wage and overtime

Hours worked	Minimum pay rate
Over 8 hours in one workday	1.5 × regular rate
Over 40 hours in one workweek	1.5 × regular rate
First 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day of the workweek	1.5 × regular rate
Over 12 hours in one workday	2 × regular rate
Over 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day	2 × regular rate

Worked example

Math: a 13-hour day

A carpenter earns $30 per hour and works 13 hours on a Tuesday (not a 7th day).
Regular: 8 hours × $30 = $240.
Time-and-a-half: hours 9 through 12 = 4 hours × $45 = $180.
Double time: hour 13 = 1 hour × $60 = $60.
Total: $240 + $180 + $60.

Gross pay for the day is $480.

Exam trap

Meal and rest periods

First meal period: at least 30 minutes for a work period of more than 5 hours. It may be waived by mutual consent only if the total workday is no more than 6 hours.
Second meal period: at least 30 minutes for a work period of more than 10 hours. It may be waived by mutual consent only if total hours are no more than 12 and the first meal was not waived.
Rest periods (IWC Wage Order 16, construction): 10 minutes of paid net rest for every 4 hours worked or major fraction of 4 hours. No rest period is required if total daily work time is under 3½ hours.
Rest periods count as hours worked, with no deduction from wages (Labor Code §226.7).

Know this

Missed meal or rest period: the employer pays one additional hour of pay at the employee's regular rate for each workday the break was not provided (Labor Code §226.7).

Worked example

Scenario: an 11-hour pour day

A concrete crew is scheduled for 11 hours. The employer provides a 30-minute meal period that starts before the end of hour 5.
Because the work period is more than 10 hours, a second 30-minute meal period is required.
Total hours are not more than 12 and the first meal was not waived, so the worker and employer may agree to waive the second meal.
Rest periods: 11 hours is two full 4-hour blocks plus 3 hours, which is a major fraction of 4, so three 10-minute rest periods are authorized.

Two meal periods (the second may be waived by mutual consent) and three paid 10-minute rest periods.