Is It Illegal For An Employer To Change Your Pay Without Notice?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

In most places in California,

employers can change an employee's work schedule without notice

. That doesn't make it right, but there isn't a law in place that requires employers to make scheduling changes within a certain period of time.

Can a company change my pay without telling me?

Employers are bound by strict federal laws that regulate paychecks and employee compensation. … Employees must be paid promptly and in full. They can't be docked pay, and they

can't have their pay rate changed without warning

. Employees work for their bosses, but they are protected by their government.

Is it legal for your employer to pay you differently?

Effective January 1, 2017, Governor Brown signed a bill that added race and ethnicity as protected categories.

California law now prohibits an employer from paying its employees less than employees of the opposite sex

, or of another race, or of another ethnicity for substantially similar work.

Can a company change your pay?

In general,

your employer can reduce your salary for any lawful reason

. There is no specific California labor law which prohibits an employer from reducing an employee's compensation. However, your employer cannot reduce your salary to a rate below the minimum wage.

What are you entitled to when fired?

If you are fired or laid off, your employer

must pay all wages due

to you immediately upon termination (California Labor Code Section 201). If you quit, and gave your employer 72 hours of notice, you are entitled on your last day to all wages due.

How long can a company not pay you?

The waiting time penalty provides an employee with payment equal to one day's wages for every day of late payment – capped

at 30 days

. California employers may make standard deductions from a final .

Can an employer cut your salary in half?


Pay cuts are legal as long as they are not done discriminatorily

(i.e., based on the employee's race, gender, religion, and/or age). To be legal, a person's earnings after the pay cut must also be at least minimum wage.

Can I refuse a pay cut?

By law,

employers cannot unilaterally cut an employee's pay

. No one can force you to take a pay cut, so you could reject such an offer even if your fellow workers accept.

What are the 5 fair reasons for dismissal?

The “causes” that are grounds for dismissal run the gamut including:

illegal activity such as stealing or revealing trade secrets

, dishonesty, breaking company rules, harassing or disrupting other workers, insubordination, excessive unexcused absences, and poor job performance by some objective measure.

How is termination pay calculated?

Accordingly, you would

divide your yearly salary by 52

to get the weekly pay rate. Then, multiply this pay rate by the number of weeks. If you earn $39,000 a year, then you make $750 a week. If you worked for the company for 10 years, then you would get $7,500 in severance.

What should you do in case of unfair dismissal?

What to Do. If you believe that you have been unfairly dismissed from your job, contact the US Department of Labor for more information regarding your particular situation. It is also

wise to talk to a lawyer immediately

, as there is often only a small window of time for you to take legal action.

What are my rights if my employer doesn't pay me?

When an employer fails to pay an employee the applicable minimum wage or the agreed wage for all hours worked,

the employee has a legal claim for damages against the employer

. To recover the unpaid wages, the employee can either bring a lawsuit in court or file an administrative claim with the state's labor department.

What to do if an employer refuses to pay you?

Contact your employer (preferably in writing) and ask for the wages owed to you. If your employer refuses to do so, consider

filing a claim with your state's labor agency

. File a suit in small claims court or superior court for the amount owed.

Can I refuse to work if I haven't been paid?


An employer cannot refuse to pay you for work you have genuinely done

. … If your employer tries to refuse to pay you, this would be regarded as a breach of contract as well as a violation of one or another employment laws, such as the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Can my employer decrease my pay?

In many cases,

it is legal for employers to reduce

the hours or pay of employees. … Unless you work under a collective bargaining agreement or an employment contract, your employer is generally allowed to cut your hours and pay. However, there are some situations in which reductions in work hours and pay are illegal.

Rachel Ostrander
Author
Rachel Ostrander
Rachel is a career coach and HR consultant with over 5 years of experience working with job seekers and employers. She holds a degree in human resources management and has worked with leading companies such as Google and Amazon. Rachel is passionate about helping people find fulfilling careers and providing practical advice for navigating the job market.