Do California wage and hour laws – including their daily and weekly overtime provisions – apply to non-residents who occasionally perform work in California?  Yes, according to a decision from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month.  Click here to read the court’s decision in Sullivan v. Oracle Corp.

In Sullivan, Oracle sent employees who regularly lived and worked in Arizona and Colorado to California on temporary assignments to train Oracle’s customers on the use of its software products.  The plaintiffs sued under California law for daily and weekly overtime when they worked in California.  Oracle argued that Arizona and Colorado law should apply because the employees regularly work and live in those states.  (Of course, the plaintiffs would not have been entitled to any overtime pay under Arizona or Colorado law).  A district court sided with Oracle and granted its motion for summary judgment.  However, the Ninth Circuit overturned that decision and held that “California’s employment laws govern all work performed in the state, regardless of the residence or domicile of the worker.”

What does this mean for employers?  If you have non-California employees working in California, even on temporary assignment, make sure that you comply with California’s unique wage and hour and overtime laws.  For more information on California law, including its daily and weekly overtime provisions, check out this helpful FAQ from the California Labor Board.