California · ambulance 24-hour tour
California ambulance sleep overtime
IWC Wage Order 5 § 3(J) / Wage Order 9 § 3(K) / Monzon v. Schaefer Ambulance Service (1990) 224 Cal.App.3d 16 / DLSE opinion letter 29 May 1998 / Lab. Code § 510: on a scheduled 24-hour shift, a written agreement may exclude ≤8h uninterrupted sleep (Monzon: ≥5h obtained or the entire sleep period counts) and ≤3 meal periods of ≤1h each when the employer furnishes adequate dormitory and kitchen facilities. Remaining hours → LC 510 1.5× after 8 through 12 / 2× after 12 / 7th day / weekly 40 no-stack. Example: 24h + 8h sleep + 3×1h meals @ $25 → $400 (full-tour without exclusion $950). Not FLSA 8/80 785.22. Not CA single-rate OT full-tour. Not CA residential care 40/48/16.
How ambulance 24h sleep exclusion pays
Ambulance drivers and attendants commonly work 24-hour tours. California’s IWC wage orders carve a narrow, written-agreement exclusion for sleep and meals on those tours — then California’s ordinary daily overtime statute still applies to whatever hours remain. That is the opposite of treating the tour as FLSA-only hours-worked math.
This calculator: (1) treats identical in/out as a 24-hour tour; (2) with a written-agreement toggle, excludes up to 8h sleep when obtained sleep is ≥5h uninterrupted (Monzon) and up to 3h of agreed meals (lunch field, capped at 180 minutes); (3) classifies remaining hours under LC 510; (4) shows the full-tour LC 510 contrast when the exclusion is off or sleep falls under 5 hours.
24h tour + agreement + 8h sleep + 3×1h meals @ $25 → 13h worked → 8 ST + 4 OT + 1 DT → $400 (full-tour $950).
Same tour, only 4h sleep obtained → entire 8h sleep counts → 21h worked → $800.
No written agreement → full 24h under LC 510 → $950.
12h day (under 24) + 30-min lunch @ $25 → 11.5h → $331.25 (no § 3(J) exclusion).
Sources
- IWC Wage Order 5-2001 — § 3(J) ambulance drivers and attendants
- IWC Wage Order 9-2001 — § 3(K) transportation ambulance provision
- Monzon v. Schaefer Ambulance Service (1990) 224 Cal.App.3d 16
- DLSE opinion letter 29 May 1998 — sleep / meal exclusion guidance
- Cal. Lab. Code § 510 — daily 8/12, seventh day, weekly 40
FAQ
How is CA ambulance 24h overtime calculated?
With a written agreement on a 24h tour: exclude ≤8h sleep (≥5h uninterrupted) + ≤3×1h meals; pay LC 510 on the remainder.
Same as FLSA 785.22 on /flsa-8-80/?
No. That card is federal hours-worked only. This page adds LC 510 daily OT after the IWC exclusion.
Same as /california-overtime/?
No. That page has no sleep/meal exclusion — a 24h tour pays 8+4+12. The written-agreement exclusion is this page’s pay line.
What if sleep is interrupted below 5 hours?
Monzon / DLSE: the entire sleep period is hours worked. Meal exclusions under the agreement can still apply.
Who is covered?
Ambulance drivers and attendants scheduled for 24-hour shifts under IWC WO 5 or WO 9, with the employer furnishing adequate dormitory and kitchen facilities and a qualifying written agreement. Duty under 24 hours is out of the § 3(J)/§ 3(K) exclusion.