- Although in general, working over eight hours per day is considered working overtime, California law makes an exception for people who work more than eight hours a day on a regular basis as long as they do not work more than 40 hours per week. Thus, if a worker works four 10-hour days every week, he is not entitled to overtime, while a worker who works 10 hours in a day in an emergency would be entitled to overtime pay for the extra two hours of work.
- In California, employers have the right to set employees' schedules. Thus, an employer may require a worker to conform to a schedule of four 10-hour days rather than five eight-hour days if the employer wishes. If an employee refuses to adhere to this schedule, the employer has the right to discipline the employee, including terminating an employee that habitually ignores the schedule.
- California recognizes three types of regular work schedules. Besides the four 10-hour day schedule, employers may schedule workers for three 12-hour days or five eight-hour days. The employer should not mix these schedule types, as a worker could legitimately claim that she does not work four 10-hour days regularly if sometimes she works a standard schedule and sometimes she works an alternative schedule. However, if the schedule alternates on a regular basis -- i.e. every other week the worker works four 10-hour shifts -- she would still be considered to work this type of shift regularly.
- If a worker is entitled to overtime for working a 10-hour day, he must get time and a half for each hour over eight that he works. If the employee gets a set salary rather than getting paid by the hour, the employer must calculate his hourly rate to determine overtime amounts. Divide the worker's annual salary by 52 to get his weekly salary, then divide the total by 40 hours per week to get the regular hourly salary.
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