Los Angeles County, CA Employment Preemption: Worker Scheduling Preemption (2026)
Key Facts
- County rule
- None for unincorporated areas
- Fast-food authority
- AB-1228 Fast Food Council
- Retail floor
- IWC Wage Order 7
- Reporting-time pay
- Half day at minimum
- Local exceptions
- LA City, Berkeley, Emeryville
Summary
LA County has no general predictive-scheduling ordinance for unincorporated areas. California AB-1228 governs fast-food workers via the statewide Fast Food Council, and statewide retail rules apply uniformly without local mandates.
(8) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the council to develop or promulgate regulations regarding predictable scheduling. Predictable scheduling does not include reporting time pay. (l) (1) No ordinance or regulation applicable to fast food restaurant employees that sets the amount of wages or salaries for fast food restaurant employees shall be enacted or enforced by any city, county, or city and county, including charter cities, charter counties, and charter cities and counties. (2) This subdivision does not preclude a city, county, or city and county, including charter cities, charter counties, and charter cities and counties, from establishing a minimum wage that is generally applicable to all industries. (3) This subdivision does not preclude any employer that employs fast food restaurant employees from establishing higher wage or compensation rates for its employees or contracted employees.
Full Breakdown
Unlike LA City's Fair Workweek Ordinance, LA County has not enacted a predictive-scheduling rule for unincorporated areas. California AB-1228 (2023) created the Fast Food Council with statewide authority over wages and conditions in covered fast-food chains, preempting local fast-food scheduling rules. Outside fast food, California has no statewide predictive-scheduling statute, so unincorporated retail, hospitality, and other sectors operate under default Labor Code rules: reporting-time pay under IWC Wage Order 7, split-shift premiums, and meal-period rules. Workers in incorporated cities like LA City or Berkeley fall under those cities' separate ordinances.
Violations & Fines
No county scheduling penalties exist. Fast-food workers may file Fast Food Council complaints. Retail workers may pursue Labor Commissioner claims for reporting-time-pay violations under Wage Order 7, with statutory penalties up to $100 per first violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do unincorporated retail workers get advance schedules?
What scheduling rules apply to fast-food chains here?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles County
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Angeles County to another location·View the California employment preemption overview
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