California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1508

Introduced by Committee on Labor and Employment (Assembly Members Roger Hernández (Chair), Chu, Low, McCarty, and Thurmond)

March 4, 2015

An act to amend Section 554 of the Labor Code, relating to working hours.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1508, as introduced, Committee on Labor and Employment. Working hours.

Existing law generally entitles employees to one day’s rest in 7 and prohibits an employer from causing his or her employees to work more than 6 days in 7. Existing law prescribes exceptions from these restrictions, including in a case of emergency and when work is performed in the protection of life or property from loss or destruction. Existing law also permits an accumulation of days of rest if the employment reasonably requires that the employee work 7 or more consecutive days.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 554 of the Labor Code is amended to
read:

554.  

(a) Sections 551 and 552 begin delete shall end delete begin insert do end insert not apply to begin delete any cases end delete
begin insert a case end insert of emergency nor to work performed in the protection of
life or property from loss or destruction, nor to begin delete any end delete begin insert a end insert common
carrier engaged in begin insert , end insert or connected with begin insert , end insert the movement of trains.
This chapter, with the exception of Section 558, begin delete shall end delete begin insert does end insert not
apply to begin delete any end delete begin insert a end insert person employed in an agricultural occupation, as
defined in Order No. 14-80 (operative January 1, 1998) of the
Industrial Welfare Commission. begin delete Nothing in this end delete begin insert This end insert chapter shall
begin insert not end insert be construed to prevent an accumulation of days of rest when
the nature of the employment reasonably requires that the employee
work seven or more consecutive days, if in each calendar month
the employee receives days of rest equivalent to one day’s rest in
seven. The requirement respecting the equivalent of one day’s rest
in seven shall apply, notwithstanding the other provisions of this
chapter relating to collective bargaining agreements, begin delete where end delete begin insert if end insert the
employer and a labor organization representing employees of the
employer have entered into a valid collective bargaining agreement
respecting the hours of work of the employees, unless the
agreement expressly provides otherwise.

(b) In addition to the exceptions specified in subdivision (a),
the Chief of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement may,
when in his or her judgment hardship will result, exempt begin delete any end delete begin insert an end insert
employer or begin delete employees end delete begin insert employee end insert from begin delete the provisions of end delete Sections
551 and 552.