Industries Handling Products After Harvest #08

California IWC Wage Order No. 8 – Industries Handling Products After Harvest

Help satisfy California workplace posting requirements with the California IWC Wage Order No. 8 – Industries Handling Products After Harvest. This 18 x 24-inch notice explains important wage, hour, overtime, meal period, rest period, and working-condition requirements for employees covered by California Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Order No. 8.

California employers must determine which Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Order applies to their business or employees and post the applicable order in an area frequented by employees where it can be easily read during the workday.

What Is California IWC Wage Order No. 8?

IWC Wage Order No. 8-2001 regulates wages, hours, and working conditions for employees in California industries that handle certain agricultural and food products after harvest.

The order covers businesses and establishments engaged in preparing agricultural, horticultural, egg, poultry, meat, seafood, rabbit, or dairy products for distribution after harvest or production.

Who Is Covered by IWC Wage Order 8?

California defines Industries Handling Products After Harvest as industries, businesses, or establishments operated for purposes including:

• Grading
• Sorting
• Cleaning
• Drying
• Cooling and icing
• Packing
• Dehydrating
• Cracking and shelling
• Candling
• Separating
• Slaughtering
• Picking and plucking
• Shucking
• Pasteurizing
• Fermenting
• Ripening
• Molding
• Otherwise preparing covered products for distribution

The Wage Order also includes operations incidental to covered after-harvest processing activities.

What Types of Businesses May Be Covered by Wage Order 8?

Businesses potentially covered by IWC Wage Order No. 8 can include operations involving:

• Fresh fruit and vegetable packing
• Citrus and deciduous fruit packing
• Fruit and vegetable drying
• Commercial dairies processing milk
• Egg candling and packing
• Egg washing, grading, and processing
• Cotton gins
• Commercial feed mills
• Farmers' cooperatives engaged in packing, cooling, grading, or warehousing
• Tree nut hulling and shelling
• Meat and poultry processing covered by the order
• Seafood processing covered by the order
• Other after-harvest preparation operations

Wage Order 8 vs. Agricultural Occupations

Not all agricultural work falls under the same California Wage Order. Wage Order No. 8 generally addresses industries handling products after harvest, while other agricultural work may be covered by different IWC Wage Orders.

For example, California Wage Order No. 14 covers many agricultural occupations, while Wage Order No. 13 addresses certain industries preparing agricultural products for market on the farm.

Employers should evaluate where the work is performed, the nature of the business, and the activities employees actually perform when determining which California Wage Order applies.

What Workplace Rules Does Wage Order 8 Cover?

IWC Wage Order No. 8 establishes requirements involving numerous wage-and-hour and working-condition issues, including:

• Hours and days of work
• Overtime compensation
• Minimum wages
• Reporting time pay
• Payroll and employment records
• Cash shortages and breakage
• Uniforms and equipment
• Meals and lodging
• Meal periods
• Rest periods
• Seats
• Temperature
• Elevators
• Exempt employee classifications
• Other working conditions addressed by the order

California Minimum Wage and Wage Order 8

California's statewide minimum wage is updated separately from the underlying IWC industry Wage Orders. Employers should display the current California Minimum Wage notice together with the applicable Wage Order.

Effective January 1, 2026, California's statewide minimum wage is $16.90 per hour, subject to applicable exceptions and any higher industry-specific or local minimum wage requirement.

Employers should determine whether another California law, city ordinance, county ordinance, or industry-specific requirement establishes a higher minimum wage for their employees.

Overtime Under IWC Wage Order 8

Wage Order No. 8 contains California overtime requirements for covered nonexempt employees.

Generally, covered employees are entitled to overtime compensation at one and one-half times the regular rate of pay for applicable hours worked over eight hours in a workday, over 40 hours in a workweek, and for the first eight hours worked on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek.

Applicable hours worked over 12 in a workday and over eight on the seventh consecutive day can require double-time compensation.

Wage Order 8 Mandatory Day-Off Requirement

Wage Order No. 8 contains special provisions concerning employees who work extended hours. Under the order, an employee may generally work up to a maximum of 72 hours in a workweek, after which the employee must receive a 24-hour period off duty, subject to specified exceptions.

Special provisions apply to certain employees in industries such as grape and tree fruit operations, cotton ginning, and tree nut hulling and shelling.

Employers using applicable exemptions from the mandatory day-off provision should carefully review the notice and employee-information requirements contained in Wage Order No. 8.

Meal Period Requirements

Wage Order No. 8 contains meal period requirements for covered employees. In general, covered employees may not be employed for a work period of more than five hours without a meal period, subject to applicable exceptions and waiver provisions.

A second meal period may also be required when an employee works more than 10 hours in a workday, subject to applicable California requirements.

Rest Period Requirements

Covered nonexempt employees are generally entitled to authorized and permitted rest periods based on the total hours worked, subject to the provisions of Wage Order No. 8 and applicable California law.

Employers should ensure that employees receive applicable rest periods and that workplace policies accurately reflect current California requirements.

Does Wage Order 8 Apply to Exempt Employees?

Wage Order No. 8 contains exemptions from certain sections for employees who satisfy California's requirements for executive, administrative, or professional exemptions.

Whether an employee qualifies as exempt depends on the employee's actual duties, compensation, and other applicable legal requirements. A job title alone does not determine whether an employee is exempt.

Where Must IWC Wage Order 8 Be Posted?

California requires every employer subject to Wage Order No. 8 to keep a copy of the order posted in an area frequented by employees where it can be easily read during the workday.

Appropriate locations may include:

• Employee break rooms
• Employee bulletin boards
• Packing and processing facilities
• Warehouse employee areas
• Cooling and storage facilities
• Employee entrances
• Time-clock areas
• Other conspicuous employee locations

When the location of work or other conditions make posting impractical, the employer must keep a copy of the order and make it available to employees upon request.

Is California IWC Wage Order No. 8 Required?

Yes, when Wage Order No. 8 applies to the employer or employees. California requires employers to post the applicable Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Order in an area frequented by employees where it can be easily read during the workday.

The applicable Wage Order should be displayed along with other required California and federal workplace notices. Employers should also display the current California Minimum Wage notice with the applicable IWC industry or occupation order.

How Do I Know Which California Wage Order Applies?

California has multiple industry and occupation Wage Orders. The correct Wage Order depends on the employer's industry, operations, employee occupations, and other factors.

Employers handling agricultural or food products should pay particular attention to the distinctions between Wage Order No. 8, Wage Order No. 13, Wage Order No. 14, and other potentially applicable industry orders.

IWC Wage Order No. 8 Poster Specifications

• 18"W x 24"H
• Portrait orientation
• Printed in full color
• Laminated with high-quality laminate
• California Industries Handling Products After Harvest Wage Order

California Labor Law and Compliance Resources

Labor Law Compliance Center provides employers with California labor law posters, IWC Wage Orders, city and local workplace notices, specialty postings, and compliance resources throughout the United States. Visit our California Labor Law Posters page for additional California workplace posting requirements and compliance products.