HR software built for California teams

Labor standards at a glance

Overtime

Daily: over 8 hrs/day at 1.5×, over 12 hrs/day at 2×. Weekly: over 40 hrs at 1.5×.

Vacation / PTO

Not required by state law, but accrued PTO is wages (cannot be forfeited).

Pay frequency

At least semi-monthly for most employees.

Governing agency

California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) →

Additional California rules

• California has a state-wide pay transparency requirement: salary ranges must be disclosed in job postings for employers with 15+ workers.
• CalSavers requires employers without a qualified retirement plan to enroll employees in the state IRA program.
• Unique daily overtime (over 8 hrs) rather than just the federal 40-hrs/week threshold.
• Meal and rest-break rules are stricter than most states — missed breaks trigger one-hour premium pay per day.

US employment law is primarily federal (FLSA, FMLA, NLRA, Title VII). States add their own rules on top. This page highlights the state-specific additions that matter most for an HR system.

2026 holidays

Observed dates may shift when a holiday falls on a weekend. US private-sector employers are not federally required to give paid time off for holidays — these are the dates commonly observed.