DIR Issues Reminder on State Labor, Safety Laws as Fire Season Approaches

The Department of Industrial Relations and its divisions — the California Labor Commissioner’s Office and Cal/OSHA — say contractors working in connection with all wildfire responses must follow state labor and workplace safety laws. Primary employers remain responsible for ensuring that labor laws are heeded, even in cases where subcontractors and labor providers are used. Those who work in wildfire support are protected by California's labor laws, which include minimum wage, overtime, meal and rest breaks, and protection from misclassification and retaliatio...