California’s aggressive wage and hour penalty and remedy laws drive up the potential exposure in wage and hour lawsuits far higher than any safety violation ever will. This is because of the California wage and hour penalty multiplier. California laws are structured to penalize employers by assessing a penalty for each potential wage and hour violation and sometimes stacking penalties upon penalties for the same type of violation for a period that can go back as far as four years.

In the dynamic landscape of California workplaces, the commitment to regulatory compliance is paramount. Employers must navigate many challenges to ensure a harmonious and lawful working environment. While safety and OSHA compliance have traditionally been at the forefront of organizational priorities, especially for industries like manufacturing and construction, a closer inspection reveals a more nuanced picture, where wage and hour violations have become a more significant threat to employers.

You have probably known for a long time that California businesses must comply with the state’s workplace health and safety laws. Wage and hour lawsuits, however, are a far greater legal and financial threat to employers in California than safety issues. This is the first article in a five-part series in which we share with you exactly why employers should treat wage and hour compliance like safety in California.

What do you think the biggest risk to your business is currently in California? Is it a sexual harassment case? Is it the economy? Is it the potential return of COVID-19? For some businesses it might be, but for most other businesses there is a much bigger calamity on the horizon. The threat is a wage and hour lawsuit against your business. Here are the Top 10 Wage and Hour Violations in California.