California Employee Rights Advocate : California Labor Attorney & Lawyer : Southern CA Employment Law : Los Angeles, Orange County : United Employees Law Group

Given the dismal state of the economy, many California workers are walking around with the possibility of being laid off looming over their heads. Even if they are not laid off, they may see their work schedules and salaries reduced. Many companies are using temporary schedule and salary reductions to cut costs until business conditions improve. The key for affected employees is to know the guidelines for such reductions.

First and foremost is the question of whether affected employees have exempt or non-exempt status. Under California law, all employees are considered to be non-exempt, meaning that they are entitled to overtime pay. The only exception is for those employees that meet all the requirements of an applicable exemption, most commonly the executive, administrative, or professional exemptions. To qualify for these exemptions an employee must pass the salary test and duties test. The salary test requires an employee to earn a monthly salary that is no less than two times the minimum wage for full-time employment. The duties test requires an employee to be primarily engaged in managerial responsibilities.

With respect to non-exempt employees, it has long been established that an employer may temporarily reduce their workers’ schedules and wages. The issue is a bit more complicated for exempt employees. According to the California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), theLabor Code and Industrial Welfare Commission wage order provisions nor federal law prohibits an employer from reducing the work schedules and salaries of exempt employees. Therefore, absent an employment contract or other agreement that states otherwise, an employer can reduce an exempt employee’s salary as long as they continue to earn more than twice the minimum wage and engage in exempt job duties.

One restriction is that the salary reduction cannot be linked to any corresponding change in days and hours worked. For example, an employer could not reduce an employee’s salary by 15% in exchange for giving them Fridays off. According to the California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), this type of salary reduction structure would violate the salary test and destroy the employee’s exempt status and non-exempt labor requirements such as meal and rest breaks would apply. The rationale is that exempt employees are paid for their work product regardless of the amount of time they take to complete their duties. Tying work hours to earnings is not in accord with being a salaried employee. 

Another consideration is that the salary reduction should also apply to all exempt employees or at least everyone with the same job duties. Applying a reduction to only certain exempt employees could violate anti-discrimination laws.

If your employer is attempting to reduce your work hours or salary, contact an experienced California labor law attorney. An attorney can advise you of your rights and evaluate your specific employment situation.
 

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Under California labor law what determines whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee depends on several different things, all of which must be well thought-out, but none of which is a sole determinant.

Among many factors are these three important considerations:

• Does the employer have direct control or the power to control the manner and means used by the worker to carry out his/ her work?
• Does the employer supply the worker with the tools and place to implement the work?
• Does the worker have a set schedule or is he/ she at liberty to establish his own schedule?

Generally, California labor law dictates that the more control an employer has over a worker's day-to-day responsibilities, the more likely the worker is an employee. The less control an employer has over a worker's day-to-day responsibilities, the more likely the worker is an independent contractor.

What is the impact of a misclassification of workers?

Whether the misclassification of workers by employers is deliberate or not deliberate, the consequence to the employer is the same. California labor law imposes costly penalties on employers who have improperly classified an employee as an independent contractor. Depending on the circumstances, an employer may also be liable for other damages under applicable laws, such as a judgment for wages owed, payroll taxes or medical expenses for a worker who has been injured on the job. California labor laws as well as federal labor laws are strict when it comes to allowing for independent contractor status.

Misclassification of independent contractors prevents workers from enjoying the benefits and protections afforded employees under many of today's California labor laws, including minimum wage and overtime, meal and rest periods, workers' compensation, unemployment and disability insurance benefits and anti-discrimination laws. Talk to a California labor law attorney when deciding on classification- it is an “ounce of prevention.”

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