State Senate Committee Considers Flexible Work Scheduling Bill

California State Sen. Tom Berryhill (R-Modesto) recently introduced Senate Bill 607, reviving efforts to permit employers and employees to agree on flexible work schedules, such as four 10-hour days per week.  Unionized workplaces already allow employees to elect to work four 10-hour days; SB 607, if enacted into law, would extend this flexibility to non-unionized workplaces.

Under federal law, and in neighboring states, employers and employees are allowed to adopt flexible work schedules such as four 10-hour days per week.  However, California Labor Code section 510 requires employers to pay non-unionized employees overtime for any work in excess of eight hours in one workday – regardless of the number of hours worked in a week.  This of course discourages employers from agreeing to flexible work schedules involving work in excess of eight hours per day.