Published Industry Wage Orders Now Reflect Current and Upcoming State Minimum Wage Increases – 

Have You Posted the Correct Wage Order?

The California Industrial Welfare Commission’s (IWC) 18 published “wage orders” can be among the most underutilized items in an HR Manager’s toolkit. They are chock full of wage and hour regulations regarding overtime wages, meal and rest periods, record-keeping requirements and other working conditions.

California employers must comply with the IWC wage order (or, in some cases, more than one order) applicable to their industry or profession.  For example, Wage Order 1 applies to the manufacturing industry; Wage Order 4 to professional, technical, clerical, mechanical and similar occupations; and Wage Order 16 to occupations in the construction, drilling, logging and mining industries.

Each of the 18 wage orders also contains or references regulations on applicable minimum wages.

Recently, the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) updated all but Wage Order 14 (agricultural workers) and Wage Order 17 (miscellaneous) to include the 2017 and 2018 state minimum wage rates increases.  See, California’s Gradual Increases in Minimum Wage, to Reach $15.00 Per Hour by January 1, 2022 (April, 2016).

After determining which wage order(s) apply to a business and its employees, employers must post the most recent version(s) at the workplace or on the job site where employees can read it/them easily.

For further information, please contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.

Cindy Bamforth

June 2, 2017