The California Department of Industrial Relations establishes the prevailing wage rate, derived from the hourly rate paid on public works projects to the majority of a particular craft's, workforce who are located within the locality or nearest labor market area. If there is no single rate paid to a majority, then the single or modal rate being paid to the greater number of workers prevails.
Twice a year, general California prevailing wage determinations are released. These release dates are February 22 and August 22 and those prevailing wage determinations become effective 10 days after they are issued.
The issue date is the date upon which copies of the prevailing wage determination are deposited in the mail by the Director or California's Department of Industrial Relations.
10 days after the issue date of the prevailing wage determination by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations.
For bidding purposes, generally-speaking, contractors should rely upon the bid advertisement date in order to determine what wage rates will be used for the job they are bidding.
When a general CA prevailing wage determination doesn't cover a particular craft, a special prevailing wage determination request may be submitted to the Department of Industrial Relations. Special prevailing wage determination requests must be made at least 45 days prior to the bid advertisement date.
When California's awarding body, a contractor, employee, union or labor-management compliance organization or any other interested faction calls for a written determination by the director of the Department of Industrial Relations about a particular construction project or type of work to be performed, it's called a coverage determination.
A single asterisk following the expiration date on a prevailing wage determination means that the prevailing wage determination in effect for bidding the project shall remain in effect for the life of the project.
Double asterisks after the expiration date of California prevailing wage determinations indicate that the hourly, overtime, fringe, and holiday pay rates for work performed after the expiration date have been predetermined. If a CA public works project is extended past the documented expiration date, the contractor should integrate the new rates into their bids.
In California, overtime is defined as: Any and all time spent working that is in excess of eight hours per day and 40 hours in any one week for most trades. Some trades require overtime to be paid in excess of 7 hours. In addition, each trade will identify how many hours can be paid at the Saturday overtime rate and how many hours must be paid at the Sunday / Holiday rate. For more specific overtime requirements, please consult the California prevailing wage determinations specifically as overtime requirements differ by craft or trade.
At the time, prevailing wages must be paid to all employees of a public works project when the public works project is over $1,000. Exclusions include when the awarding body elects to initiate and enforce a labor compliance program, which is subject to approval by the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations. In such cases, prevailing wages are not required to be paid for any public works project of $25,000 or less when the project is for construction work, or for any public works project of $15,000 or less when the project is for alteration, demolition, repair, or maintenance work.
The Division of Apprenticeship Standards is the division of the California Department of Industrial Relations which is responsible for administering California's apprenticeship law. The Division of Apprenticeships Standards also enforces the standards for wages, hours and working conditions for apprentices in apprenticeable crafts or trades and also publishes wage determinations for apprentice wages.
Certified Payroll Reports can be very confusing. You should read our blog post for some useful assistance in completing your California Certified Payroll Report!
Yes, you can. If you're working a Davis-Bacon job in the state of California, you can find the most current California Davis-Bacon rates on the Federal Government's GPO website. REMEMBER, the contracting agency is required to provide you with the appropriate Davis-Bacon wage determination - meaning that the one online may not be the one you should be using! If you do have that, and want to look it up, you can go to the Federal Government's Wage Determinations OnLine website.
And, of course, don't forget that CA has it's own Prevailing Wage laws and rates - so be sure it's a federal davis-bacon project.
