PHRca PHRCA CA Wage and Hour Laws Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under California law, what is the maximum number of hours a non-exempt employee can work before daily overtime applies?
- 8 hours (Correct answer)
- 10 hours
- 12 hours
- 6 hours
Correct answer: 8 hours
California requires daily overtime pay after 8 hours worked in a single workday.
Question 2: Which California agency is primarily responsible for enforcing wage and hour laws?
- Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) (Correct answer)
- Employment Development Department (EDD)
- Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH)
- California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR)
Correct answer: Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE)
The DLSE, also known as the Labor Commissioner's Office, is the primary enforcer of California wage and hour laws.
Question 3: Under California's reporting time pay rules, if an employee reports to work but is sent home after 2 hours of an 8-hour shift, what is the minimum pay owed?
- 2 hours of pay
- 4 hours of pay (Correct answer)
- 6 hours of pay
- 8 hours of pay
Correct answer: 4 hours of pay
California requires at least half the scheduled shift as reporting time pay, with a minimum of 2 hours and maximum of 4 hours.
Question 4: How frequently must California employers pay non-exempt employees?
- Weekly
- Semimonthly or every two weeks (Correct answer)
- Monthly
- At the employer's discretion
Correct answer: Semimonthly or every two weeks
California Labor Code Section 204 requires that non-exempt employees be paid at least semimonthly or every two weeks.
Question 5: What is the California penalty for an employer who willfully fails to pay final wages upon involuntary termination?
- A flat fine of $500
- Waiting time penalties of up to 30 days of wages (Correct answer)
- Double the unpaid wages only
- No penalty if paid within 10 days
Correct answer: Waiting time penalties of up to 30 days of wages
Under Labor Code Section 203, waiting time penalties accrue at the employee's daily rate for up to 30 calendar days.
Question 6: Which of the following meal period rules applies under California law for a shift exceeding 5 hours?
- A paid 15-minute meal break
- An unpaid meal period of at least 30 minutes (Correct answer)
- A paid meal period of at least 20 minutes
- No meal period is required until 6 hours
Correct answer: An unpaid meal period of at least 30 minutes
California requires an unpaid meal period of at least 30 minutes for shifts over 5 hours.
PHRca PHRCA CA Wage and Hour Laws Questions and Answers 2
Under California law, what is the maximum number of hours a non-exempt employee can work before daily overtime applies?