Security Guards
Overtime Litigation in Security and Defense-Related Occupations California Employment Lawyers for Security Professionals and Defense Workers Security guards and other employees working in defense-related jobs are responsible for protecting companies throughout the state of California. These security guards and defense employees work long hours, usually performing job duties that involve checking employees as they enter the employer’s building, writing security reports about daily activities and theft, corresponding with the police about emergency situations, and investigating alarms and walking around the premises to make sure the building is secure. At Blumenthal, Nordrehaug & Bhowmik, our employment law attorneys are known throughout California for helping employees in the security industry in labor lawsuits to collectunpaid work-related expenses.
Many employers in California communities such as San Diego and San Francisco fail to reimburse security guards for the cost of uniforms, guns, whistles, belts, flashlights, and other required tools. Despite the fact that there are strict California labor laws requiring employers to reimburse security guards for these types of expenses, many employers in the state fail to pay security employees for them. Security guards in California are also often undercompensated for time worked in violation ofstate employment laws. Overtime for security guards should be paid on a weekly basis and not averaged out for a two-week period. Under California overtime laws, when security guards work time at more than one post in the same workweek, state law requires employers to count the time worked at the different posts together for purposes of calculating overtime pay. California wage and hour laws also require employers to pay securities guards for the time they spend travelling from one location to another.
Call 800-568-8020 for Free Legal Advice
At Blumenthal, Nordrehaug & Bhowmik, our employment law lawyers advise and represent security guards who are not paid for all of the time they work. Many California security companies implement illegal schemes to avoid paying security guards for all hours worked, including overtime. For example, many employers in the state require security guards to complete testing and modules on their own time, off the clock and without compensation. Similarly, many security companies require their guards to attend mandatory training, meetings and class to get certifications that help the company, but the security guards are not compensated for the training time. Under California overtime laws, employers in the state must pay security employees for all of the time they spend working for the benefit of the employer, including time spent attending mandatory training and meetings. If you are a security guard and think that your current or former employer may have committed violations of California labor laws, contact our employment law offices in San Diego, San Francisco or Los Angeles today for a free confidential consultation with one of our attorneys.