California law requires that every time an employer pays an employee wages, the employer provide the employee with a wage statement that accurately shows the following information:
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The employee's gross wages earned.
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The total hours worked by the employee.
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The number of piece-rate units earned by the employee and any applicable piece rate if the employee is paid on a piece rate basis.
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All deductions made from the employee's wages.
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The employee's net wages earned.
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The inclusive dates of the period for which the employee is being paid.
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The name of the employee and the last four digits of the employee's social security number or employee identification number.
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The name and address of the legal entity that is employee's employer.
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All applicable hourly rates in effect during the pay period and the corresponding number of hours worked at each hourly rate by the employee.
Providing an employee with all of this information enables an employee to ensure that they are being correctly paid for all hours that they work.
If an employee's wage statements do not include all of the aforementioned information, an employee can receive up to $4,000 for the employer's violation of Labor Code Section 226(a). Additionally, an employee's receipt of a non-compliant wage statement is often a good indication that the employee has been subjected to other violations of the Labor Code.