Employers, please remember that section 5 of most, if not all, of the Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Orders (available for download here) provides that an employee shall be paid, as Reporting Time Pay, half of their usual or scheduled day’s work (not less than two (2) hours, nor more than four (4) hours) at the employee’s regular rate of pay whenever the employee is required to report for work and is not put to work, or is given less than half of the employee’s usual or regularly scheduled day’s work.

Also, where the employee is required to report for work a second time in any one workday and is furnished less than two (2) hours of work on the second reporting, the employee should be compensated for two (2) hours at the employee’s regular rate of pay.

The Reporting Time Pay is not applicable when:

(1) Operations cannot commence or continue due to threats to employees or property; or when recommended by civil authorities; or
(2) Public utilities fail to supply electricity, water, or gas, or there is a failure in the public utilities, or sewer system; or
(3) The interruption of work is caused by an Act of God or other cause not within the employer’s control.

Reporting Time Pay is also not applicable for employee on paid standby status who are called to perform assigned work at a time other than the employee’s scheduled reporting time.

For some compliance tips on meal and rest periods – check out this post too.