The Essentials – California Employment Law Update
6 Agustus 2021In this edition, we spotlight two key California labor and employment developments, a recent California Supreme Court ruling relating to meal and rest break premiums paid at the regular rate of pay (Ferra), and a reminder about local minimum wage updates. Here is a look back at July:
MINIMUM WAGE UPDATES:
Remember to update local minimum wage requirements. Many counties/cities require their local minimum wage to be updated every July. Below is a summary of the updates:
| California Jurisdiction | Minimum Wage Rate / Hour |
| Alameda | US$15.00 |
| Belmont | US$15.90 |
| Berkeley | US$16.32 |
| Burlingame | US$15.00 |
| Cupertino | US$15.65 |
| Daly City | US$15.00 |
| East Palo Alto | US$15.00 |
| El Cerrito | US$15.61 |
| Emeryville | US$17.13 |
| Fremont | US$15.00 (25 or fewer employees) US$15.25 (26 or more employees) |
| Half Moon Bay | US$15.00 |
| Hayward | US$14.00 (25 or fewer employees) US$15.00 (26 or more employees) |
| Long Beach | US$15.69 (hotel workers) US$15.32 (concessionaire workers) |
| Los Altos | US$15.65 |
| Los Angeles | US$15.00 US$17.64 (hotel workers) |
| Malibu | US$15.00 |
| Menlo Park | US$15.25 |
| Milpitas | US$15.65 |
| Mountain View | US$16.30 |
| Novato | US$15.24 (100 or more employees) US$15.00 (26-99 employees) US$14.00 (25 or fewer employees) |
| Oakland | US$14.36 |
| Palo Alto | US$15.65 |
| Pasadena | US$15.00 |
| Petaluma | US$15.20 |
| Redwood City | US$15.62 |
| Richmond | US$15.21 |
| San Carlos | US$15.24 |
| San Diego | US$14.00 |
| San Francisco | US$16.32 |
| San Jose | US$15.45 |
| San Leandro | US$15.00 |
| San Mateo | US$15.62 |
| Santa Clara | US$15.65 |
| Santa Monica | US$15.00 |
| Santa Rosa | US$15.20 |
| Sonoma | US$14.00 (25 or fewer employees) US$15.00 (26 or more employees) |
| South San Francisco | US$15.25 |
| Sunnyvale | US$16.30 |
Please also remember that the state minimum wage changes on 1 January.
FERRA v. LOEWS HOLLYWOOD HOTEL, LLC1
California Supreme Court ruled that meal and rest period premiums must be paid at the “regular rate” rather than the base rate of pay. The decision is also retroactive. A more detailed summary is available here. Also, see Penny Chen’s article in Law360 “Next Steps for Employers After California Break Premium Ruling” for further analysis and insights.
To learn more about the implications of Ferra, join members of the California K&L Gates labor, employment, and workplace safety team at an upcoming webinar on 19 August at 10:00 a.m. PT. For more details, please contact us.
Please feel free to reach out to any of our California Labor, Employment, and Workplace Safety lawyers with any questions.