California law provides protection for nonexempt employees who report to work expecting to work a certain number of hours and are deprived of those hours due to the employer’s improper notification or scheduling errors. Under such circumstances, employers are required to pay employees not just for the hours they work, but also regularly scheduled hours. This type of pay is considered “reporting time pay.”

If an employee reports to work expecting to work a certain number of hours, but is released without working any hours or working less than half the hours scheduled, the employer is required to pay the employee for half of the hours scheduled. This cannot exceed 4 hours of pay, but also must be at least 2 hours of pay at the employee’s regular rate. For example, if an employee reports to work a scheduled 8 hour shift, but is sent home after working only 2 hours then that employee is required to be paid 4 hours of pay at their regular rate of pay, however only 2 of these hours count as actual hours worked.

If an employee reports to work for the second time in any workday and works less than 2 hours on the second shift, the employer is required to pay that employee 2 hours of pay at their regular rate.

Click here for more information about reporting time pay.