| Always a point of difficulty for California employers, | | | | overtime are actually exempt. Each job description and |
| California Overtime Law require paying daily overtime | | | | actual tasks performed by professionals such as |
| pay in addition to overtime for hours worked more | | | | accountants, and others must be examined carefully to |
| than 40 per week. However, state legislature changed | | | | make that determination. California Overtime Law |
| this overtime law at one timeeliminating daily overtime | | | | requires that non-exempt accountants be paid |
| requirements. Fortunately, things quickly shifted direction | | | | overtime for over eight hours worked in a day, or |
| and California Overtime Law was passed to reinstate | | | | more than 40 hours worked in the week. While some |
| the daily overtime requirements. On January 1, 2001, | | | | salaried accountants may be exempt, depending on |
| current daily overtime rules became effective. On | | | | their duties many may not be. Accountant that do not |
| August 23, 2004, California Labor Law Overtime | | | | maintain a CPA license, are not automatically |
| categories called White Collar Exemptions were finally | | | | professionally exempt in California and therefore may |
| implemented as modifications to the FLSA (Fair Labor | | | | be entitled to very large sums of overtime wages |
| Standards Act). A new category was added for | | | | accumulated from the past 3 and sometimes for |
| physicians and surgeons on January 1, 2007 under | | | | years. Furthermore, double-time overtime pay must be |
| California Labor Law Overtime. | | | | paid for hours worked over twelve in one day or in |
| California Overtime Pay Regulations for Non-Exempt | | | | excess of eight on the seventh consecutive day within |
| Employees: A Simple Test | | | | the workweek. California Overtime regulations are |
| An experienced California Overtime Law Attorney | | | | contained in Wage Orders issued by part of the |
| states, CPA firms seem to believe that just because | | | | Department of Industrial Relations referred to as the |
| an accountant has always been paid a salary and is | | | | Industrial Welfare Commission. Under California |
| considered exempt from overtime that they are | | | | Overtime Law, employers are required to post the |
| exempt. If an accountant is not directly supervising | | | | minimum wage and overtime regulations in a prominent |
| other employees or exercises a certain amount of | | | | place frequented by accountants and other |
| independent discretion, they may be entitled to | | | | employees. |
| overtime under California Overtime Law. When it | | | | A common misconception is that an accountant can |
| comes to California Overtime Law, the Golden State | | | | work more hours on one day and take compensation |
| has the most restrictive labor code in the nation. | | | | time, or compensatory time off on a different day. An |
| However, there are laws to protect employed | | | | employer has the ability to be flexible with the |
| residents. Individuals have the right to investigate | | | | accountants with regard to their time. California Labor |
| regulations that apply to California Overtime. The | | | | Law Overtime still requires overtime to be paid if the |
| California rules for non-exempt accountants should | | | | amount of hours on the day the accountant works |
| give one an idea of certain issues at stake. For the | | | | longer goes more than eight hours. If an employee |
| California resident, various questions can be considered | | | | refuses to work the overtime and that refusal is not |
| in determining accountants classifications. | | | | secured by overtime law, the employer can actually |
| The attorney adds, The California courts as well as | | | | fire the employee. Fortunately, an accountant |
| other courts across the nation have broken down the | | | | employed who feels he/she has been unlawfully |
| beliefs that jobs traditionally considered exempt from | | | | discharged, should speak with an attorney immediately. |