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Bill

SB 310

Failure to pay wages: penalties.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Matt Haney and 2 co-sponsors

California bill increases penalties for employer wage theft violations to strengthen enforcement and worker recovery remedies for unpaid earned wages.

Ordered to inactive file on request of Senator Wiener.
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Bill Summary · SB 310

Legislative bill overview

SB 310 increases penalties and enforcement mechanisms for California employers who fail to pay workers their earned wages. The bill strengthens the state's wage theft protections by imposing stricter financial consequences and potentially expanded remedies for affected employees.

Why is this important

Wage theft—when employers withhold or delay payment of earned wages—affects hundreds of thousands of California workers annually, disproportionately impacting low-wage and vulnerable populations. Stronger penalties create greater incentives for employer compliance and provide workers with more meaningful recourse when violations occur.

Potential points of contention

  • Business cost concerns: Employers argue that increased penalties raise operating costs and compliance burdens, potentially affecting small businesses more severely than large corporations with dedicated HR departments
  • Penalty structure debate: Questions exist about whether penalties are proportionate to violations, whether they apply uniformly across business sizes, and whether they adequately deter repeat offenders
  • Definition and enforcement scope: Disagreement over what constitutes willful wage theft versus good-faith payment errors, and how aggressively state agencies should pursue enforcement actions

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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