Alternative Workweeks - Did you know?

CalChamber has written articles recently in the Alert publication about Alternative Workweeks. If you do not receive the Alert -- sign up for it so you can keep up on the policy unit's hard work on behalf of California employers.

If you have already implemented an Alternative Workweek schedule - make sure you understand the following, which can be found in section (B) of your wage order.

• All work performed in any workday beyond the schedule established by the agreement up to 12 hours a day or beyond 40 hours per week shall be paid at one and one-half (11/2) times the employee’s regularrate of pay.
• All work performed in excess of 12 hours per day and any work in excess of eight (8) hours on those days worked beyond the regularly scheduled number of workdays established by the alternative workweek agreement shall be paid at double the employee’s regular rate of pay.
• Any alternative workweek agreement shall provide for not less than four (4) hours of work in any shift.
• An employer, at the request of the employee, may substitute one day of work for another day of the same length in the shift provided by the alternative workweek agreement on an occasional basis to meet the personal needs of the employee without the payment of overtime.
• No hours paid at either one and one-half (11/2) or double the regular rate of pay shall be included in determining when 40 hours have been worked for the purpose of computing overtime compensation.
• If an employee working under an alternative workweek agreement is required by the employer to work fewer hours than those that are regularly scheduled by the agreement, the employer shall pay the employee overtime compensation at a rate of one and one-half (11/2) times the employee’s regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of eight (8) hours, and double the employee’s regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 12 hours for the day the employee is required to work the reduced hours.

So, make sure you are following the rules before and after implementing an Alternative Workweek!

Comments

[Joline Harris]

With Alternative Workweeks, if there are just a few employees who want to work four 10-hour days (not company mandated for the entire workforce), they should be able to have that choice without doing all the voting, etc. involving the other employees.