The California Department of Labor is also known as the California Department of Industrial Relations. The California Department of Labor was established to improve the working conditions of employees in California and to advance opportunities for profitable employment in California. The California Department of Labor website contains information on California Labor Law. The entire California Labor Code as well as a thorough explanation of overtime law can be found on this website.
 
Labor law and overtime law are complex topics and while a layperson can research these topics on their own it may be best to consult a California labor attorney with more complex issues and questions.

The California Department of Labor also provides information on various professions and the regulations that govern these professions. There are special provisions such as exemptions for computer programmers relating to overtime. Exempt status deprives an employee of certain protections of the Industrial Welfare Commission Orders. It should be noted that the exemption has far-reaching ramifications since exempt status disallow the employee not only the right to collect overtime pay, but also to many of the other protections afforded to nonexempt employees by such wage orders. Some of these protections that do not apply to exempt employees are listed below:

• overtime premium.

• minimum wage.

• reporting time pay.

• requirement of records under the IWC Orders (but not records required by the Labor Code).

• requirement that employer furnish uniforms and equipment (except, of course, that any expenditure by an employee is recoverable under Labor Code Section 2802).

• requirement that meals and lodging amounts be limited

• meal period requirement

• rest period requirement