An employer pays an employee below the legal minimum wage. Labor Code §1197.1 authorizes a civil penalty for an initial intentional violation of:
Explanation
Labor Code §1197.1(a)(1) sets $100 for each underpaid employee for each pay period of an initial intentional minimum-wage violation, and §1197.1(a)(2) raises it to $250 per underpaid employee per pay period for each subsequent violation of the same offence. The penalty is on top of the underpaid wages themselves, liquidated damages under §1194.2 and any §203 waiting-time penalty, so a first offence is never penalty-free and never a bare repayment of wages. The $25 figure belongs to no minimum-wage provision, and no flat sum replaces the per-employee, per-pay-period count.
Law Reference: Labor Code §1197.1(a)(1), §1197.1(a)(2); §1194.2; §203This topic, taught in full in the CSLB Law & Business guide. CSLB Law & Business — Complete Study Guide (2026) — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 · 14-day refund →
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