Minimum Wage/Hour Standards

This department works to protect employees in California through a variety of programs and law and standard enforcement responsibilities. Services include labor arbitration/mediation; labor standards and practices; minimum wage/hour standards; administrative entities for labor issues; occupational/professional licensing and certification for agents/promoters; occupational/professional licensing and certification for industrial production managers; regulation of farm labor contractors; and youth work permits. There are no geographic restrictions.

It consists of five divisions which include the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS), the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), the Division of Worker's Compensation (DWC), the State Mediation and Conciliation Service, and the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), see separate entry for DOSH.

The Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) administers apprenticeship law, develops and approves training standards for apprenticeship and other on-the-job training, and approves programs that qualify under the G.I. Bill. The council establishes rules and regulations regarding apprenticeship programs and hears appeals of decisions related to apprenticeship disputes.

The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) enforces the standards set by California's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (CAL/OSHA) to protect the on-the-job health and safety of all workers in the state except federal employees.

The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) enforces all labor laws including those which require equal pay for equal work (ex. non-payment of wages, overtime or vacation pay) and those which relate to workers' compensation insurance coverage. It also enforces the orders of the department's Industrial Welfare Commission which regulates the payment of wages, the hours of work, and the conditions of employment for workers.

The DLSE licenses farm labor contractors, talent and athlete agents, and garment contractors. The department issues registration certificates to owners of garment manufacturing businesses and car wash businesses. The Los Angeles office also investigates cases dealing with garment workers.

The DLSE also issues youth work permits for underage youth in the entertainment industry. Youth actors are required to have a permit issued by this department, and completed by the child's school. To qualify for this special work, permit the youth must have a C grade average and satisfactory attendance.

The State Mediation and Conciliation Service investigates and mediates labor/management disputes in both the private and public sectors. The service can provide arbitrators and fact finders, if needed, for disputes that relate to negotiations and grievances.

The Division of Labor Statistics and Research (DLSR) collects, compiles, and publishes information and statistics related to the economic and employment conditions in the state. It provides information about union membership, labor/management agreements, work-related illnesses and injuries, and wage rates. It also issues the Consumer Price Index for the state.