California Wage Statements: What You Need to Know

In order to protect California employees, there are strict state laws in place that control workers’ wage statements and requirements imposed upon employers to properly distribute, keep, and maintain those records. If you or a coworker believes that your employer has not been keeping accurate wage statements or violated another of your employment rights, you may have a claim for compensation. To learn more about your legal options, call or contact a California employment law attorney in your area today to schedule a consultation.

Information on a Wage Statement

California law requires that certain information be on every wage statement for employees. According to the state’s Labor Code, each statement must contain the following:

• Gross wages,
• Total hours worked for non-exempt employees,
• The number of piece-rate units earned and any applicable piece rate if the employee is paid on that basis,
• All deductions,
• Net wages earned,
• The inclusive pay period dates,
• The name of the employee, the last four digits of his or her social security number, or an employee identification number,
• The full and correct name and address of the legal entity of the employer, and
• All applicable hourly rates in effect during the pay period and the corresponding number of hours worked at each hourly rate by the employee.

A wage statement must either be provided a wage statement semi-monthly or each time that they are paid. This statement can be in written form or electronic, so long as the electronic records are easily accessible to employees. Any electronic records must also be kept in a way that incorporates safeguards to ensure confidentiality.

Maintaining Wage Statements

In addition to providing wage statements to their employees that contain all the relevant information that they need to ensure proper compensation, employers are also required by state law to maintain wage statement records for a period of time. California law dictates that wage statements must be kept by the employer for at least three years; however, many employers do keep records for four years in order to keep in compliance with California wage and hour lookback periods for any potential lawsuits.

Penalties for Wage Statement Violations

If an employer violates the California Labor Code in relation to the information provided on a wage statement, the issuance of wage statements, or the maintenance of wage statements they may be civilly liable for damages. Under state law, an employee may be entitled to compensation for each pay period that a violation occurred in addition to compensation for court costs and attorneys’ fees to bring the case.

Contact a California Employment Lawyer Now

Do you believe that your employer has violated your rights regarding your wage statements? If so, you and your co-workers may have a claim for compensation under the California Labor Code. To learn more about whether you have a case, call the office or contact an experienced California employment law attorney in your area today to schedule a consultation of your case.