Nonresident-Employees Working in California Entitled to Overtime under State Law, Ninth Circuit Rules

Nonresidents of California are entitled to overtime pay under California law for work performed in California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled, following the California Supreme Court’s responses to its questions on state law. Sullivan v. Oracle Corp., 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 24625 (9th Cir. Dec. 13, 2011). The Ninth Circuit reversed summary judgment in favor of the employer on claims for unpaid overtime under the California Labor Code (“Labor Code”), as well as on claims under the California Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”), which were predicated on the Labor Code violations. However, the Court held that the UCL did not apply to alleged violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act occurring outside of California.