Total Articles: 6
California Mandates Written Contracts For Commissioned Employees
Governor Brown signed a law mandating that all commissioned employees in California be provided with a written contract. Signed into law on October 7, 2011 AB 1396 amends Section 2751 of the California Labor Code.
New CA Law Requires Written Commission Agreement
Governor Brown has mercifully vetoed many of the loony ill-conceived employment law bills that the legislature passed this term. But he signed AB 1396, which is going to impose a serious burden on employers who pay employees via commission.
Court Clarifies Meaning Of "Commissions"
California Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) Wage Orders exempt from California's overtime-compensation requirement "any employee whose earnings exceed one and one-half (1 ½ ) times the minimum wage if more than half of that employee's compensation represents commissions." State courts have looked to the Labor Code section that addresses automobile dealers, in defining "commissions," as: "compensation paid to any person for services rendered in the sale of such employer's property or services and based proportionately upon the amount or value thereof." (Italics added.)
COMMISSION ACCOMPLISHED
The definition of "commission" can mean the difference between an employee who is entitled to overtime pay and one who is exempt from overtime and other wage-hour laws. Both federal and California law exempt retail salespersons who earn at least 50% of their wages via commissions (along with other requirements). An incentive payment that does not qualify as a "commission" is not counted towards the 50% threshold.
Button Up Those Commission Plans.
An employer recently found itself in the unenviable position of defending a lawsuit brought by a former sales employee, who alleged that the employer owed him a commission of 20% on a $12 million deal he brokered with AT&T. After three and a half years of litigation, an appellate court ruled in the employer's favor because the salesperson's employment agreement contained two critical provisions. Would your company's commission plan pass the same test? Nein v. HostPro, Inc.
Commission and Bonus Plans: Is a Deal a Deal?
Commissions and bonuses are forms of "wages" in California. The Labor Code imposes on employers a number of obligations regarding payment of wages. For example, wages must be paid within a specified time period after they are earned. Employees who quit or are terminated typically must be paid their final wages on their last day of employment or penalties may accrue. Wages must be included in the "regular rate" of pay, which is used to calculate overtime. They also must be detailed on the "wage statement" that is furnished employees with every paycheck.
