Guides
Plain-language answers to the overtime, tip, and scheduling law questions restaurant owners search for, with real sources and a last-reviewed date on every one.
Tip Credits by State
How the FLSA tip credit works, which states don't allow it, and what restaurant owners need to pay tipped employees in cash wages, state by state.
Read the guideCan Managers Keep Tips?
Federal law says no, with one narrow exception. What counts as a manager, what tip pools they can join, and where states go further.
Read the guideService Charges vs Tips
The legal test that decides whether a service charge is a tip or a wage, why it matters for payroll taxes, and what changes in California.
Read the guideHow Tip Pooling Works
Tip pools vs tip-outs, common ways to split tips, and the federal and California rules on who can share. Plain-language answers for restaurants.
Read the guideCalifornia Overtime & Double Time
When California restaurants owe time and a half, when double time kicks in, and how the 7th consecutive day rule works. A guide for owners.
Read the guideCalifornia Meal Break Rules
When California meal breaks are due, when they can be waived, and what a missed break costs. A plain-language guide for restaurant owners.
Read the guideSplit Shift Premiums
When a split shift triggers an extra hour of pay in California and DC, how the premium is calculated, and common scheduling mistakes.
Read the guideReporting Time Pay
What you owe an employee who reports for a shift and gets sent home early, state by state, and how it stacks with split shift premiums.
Read the guide