There are many reasons to treat employees fairly and in the manner that all labor laws require, but businesses like Sunflower Pool and Patio have a vested interest in maintaining a good reputation with customers. After all, customer service can be a major factor in how often a consumer calls a company for a service. While states differ in terms of their labor laws, California’s on-call pay laws set it apart from the rest of the nation.

In order for Sunflower Pool and Patio to continue to have work, it has to ensure that its employees are involved in all aspects of the process. This means calling workers when they are needed (for on-call shifts) and getting the job done quickly and efficiently. California’s on-call pay laws require employers to pay their employees for on-call shifts. This means that if an employee is scheduled to come into work and is then called off, the employee is entitled to compensation for his or her time.

For example, if the employee was expected to come into work at 9 a.m. and was then called and told to stay home, the employee is entitled to a minimum of two hours of pay (or the amount of pay for the regularly scheduled shift, whichever is more). This means $16 per hour of pay for the first two hours, or a total cost to the company of at least $128. If the shift was for only three hours, the company would be responsible for eight hours of pay.

A company must call the employee onto the schedule at least 24 hours in advance to avoid paying for on-call shifts that are not enforced. On-call shifts also do not require actual work. For example, if the company made the official request to come to work but then the project was canceled or the customer backed out, the company is still required to pay for the employee’s time.

Employers who fail to comply with California’s on-call pay laws may face criminal penalties, including fines up to $1,000 and even jail time. The employer may also be labeled a “bad company” by customers who hear about the rules being broken. Reputations are a very valuable thing, and companies must be willing to spend more on fair labor practices to maintain that reputation.

There are no reasons why complying with California’s on-call pay laws cannot benefit the company, and good business owners will do well to abide by them. For example, they can:

A little flexibility can go a long way. If the company agrees to make a few changes to the schedule, they can alleviate any other company or customer concerns. Simply put, being informed about which labor laws are applicable to the business is a must.

The easiest way to avoid breaking labor laws and restricting the company’s actions is to stay informed. Whether it means dedicating human resources personnel to checking in with labor law databases or hiring a labor law firm to do so, there are few businesses that can afford to be ill-informed about their obligations to their workers.

For more information on labor laws, you can visit the U.S. Department of Labor.