The core test: employer control
California generally asks whether the employer controls the guard's activities during the time in question, not simply whether the guard is 'working' in an active sense.
Time spent waiting for a dispatch call, required to stay near a phone or vehicle, or restricted from personal errands, can count as hours worked even without an active task.
Common time categories
| Time type | Typically compensable? | Key factor |
|---|---|---|
| Travel between posts during a shift | Yes | Ordered by employer during working hours |
| Commute from home to first post | Usually no | Normal commute rule applies |
| On-call time with tight response window | Often yes | Degree of restriction on personal time |
| Sleep time on 24-hour residential post | Depends on agreement | May allow limited sleep-time exclusion under specific conditions |
| Waiting for relief guard to arrive | Yes | Guard remains under employer's control |
Signs that on-call time should be paid
- Very short required response times that prevent normal personal activities
- Requirement to remain in uniform or carry employer equipment while on-call
- Frequent actual call-outs that make the on-call period effectively part of the job
- Employer discipline for being unreachable during on-call windows
What to document
Keep records of dispatch calls, on-call schedules, and any written on-call or sleep-time agreements provided by the employer.
Research and education only
This content is for research and education about how California wage-and-hour concepts may apply to security work. Summit Force Security Group is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or representation.
Guards with specific pay questions should contact the California Labor Commissioner's Office or a licensed California employment attorney.
Official sources & local data
We link to the agencies rather than reprinting them, so you always land on the current version. Summit Force is not affiliated with or endorsed by any agency listed here.