West · CA
California labor laws for hourly employees
Overtime, meal and rest breaks, and how often wages must be paid in California, summarised for the person running the time clock. Reviewed September 2026; general information, not legal advice.
California at a glance
Daily overtime
1.5× after 8 hours in a day and 2× after 12 hours in a day.
Weekly overtime
1.5× after 40 hours in a workweek.
7th consecutive day
On the seventh consecutive day worked in a workweek: 1.5× for the first 8 hours and 2× beyond 8.
Meal breaks
A 30-minute unpaid meal period for shifts over 5 hours (waivable by agreement when the shift is 6 hours or less) and a second one for shifts over 10 hours.
Rest breaks
A paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked or major fraction of it.
Pay frequency
At least twice a month on regular paydays designated in advance.
Also worth knowing in California
- A missed or late meal or rest break owes the employee one extra hour of pay (a "premium") for that day.
- California is the most demanding state to run a time clock in, which is exactly why 9forty5's California preset bands hours pair by pair as the day is worked.
How 9forty5 applies California's rules
9forty5 ships a California daily-overtime preset. Select it in a site's Time & Pay settings and the daily threshold, double time and the seventh-consecutive-day rule are applied as each day is worked, pair of punches by pair of punches, alongside the weekly rule. An hour is paid at one premium, never two.
Meal breaks are punched, unpaid by default, so the break record is what actually happened. Pay periods, punch rounding and holidays are per site, and the approved period exports to payroll with regular, overtime and double time in their own columns.
The federal floor
Overtime. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires 1.5× the regular rate of pay after 40 hours in a workweek for non-exempt employees. Federal law has no daily overtime.
Breaks. Federal law does not require breaks. When an employer offers short breaks (usually 5 to 20 minutes) they must be paid; a bona fide meal period of 30 minutes or more where the employee is fully relieved may be unpaid.
Recordkeeping. Employers must keep accurate records of hours worked each day and each week, wages paid, and the basis of pay. Payroll records are kept for 3 years and the time cards behind them for 2 years.
Rounding. Rounding punches to the nearest 5, 6 or 15 minutes is allowed only when it is neutral over time and does not systematically favor the employer.
California questions
Yes. A 30-minute unpaid meal period for shifts over 5 hours (waivable by agreement when the shift is 6 hours or less) and a second one for shifts over 10 hours. Federal law adds that a meal period may be unpaid only when it is 30 minutes or more and the employee is fully relieved of duty.
At least twice a month on regular paydays designated in advance.
9forty5 ships a California daily-overtime preset. Choose it in the site's Time & Pay settings and daily thresholds, double time and the seventh-day rule are applied as each day is worked, in addition to the weekly rule.
Other states in the West
This page is general information summarised from the U.S. Department of Labor's state tables and California's labor agency, reviewed September 2026. It describes the usual rule for private-sector, non-exempt adult employees; industries, employer sizes and job types have exceptions, and rules change. It is not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your state labor office or an employment attorney before relying on it.
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