California Employers Must Know: Meal/Rest Premiums Are ‘Wages’

California reaffirms its reputation as the most employee-friendly state and raises potential liability for employers. On May 23, 2022, the California Supreme Court issued the long-awaited decision in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc., finding that meal and rest period premiums are “wages” under California law and thus employers could be liable for failure to properly report and timely pay those premiums.