Skip to main content

Gov. Code, § 19851 · Article 1. Workweek

Gov. Code, § 19851

Verbatim from the official edition

Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)

(a) It is the policy of the state, except during the operation of subdivision (c), that the workweek of the state employee shall be 40 hours, and the workday of state employees eight hours, except that workweeks and workdays of a different number of hours may be established in order to meet the varying needs of the different state agencies. It is the policy of the state to avoid the necessity for overtime work whenever possible. This policy does not restrict the extension of regular working-hour schedules on an overtime basis in those activities and agencies where it is necessary to carry on the state business properly during a manpower shortage.

(b) If the provisions of this section are in conflict with the provisions of a memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Section 3517.5, the memorandum of understanding shall be controlling without further legislative action, except that if the provisions of a memorandum of understanding require the expenditure of funds, the provisions shall not become effective unless approved by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act.

(c) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, for the period from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013, inclusive, a state employee shall participate in the Personal Leave Program 2012 (PLP 2012 Program), either as required by an applicable memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Section 3517.5 or by the direction of the department for excluded employees. Under the PLP 2012 Program, each employee shall receive a reduction in pay not greater than 5 percent. In exchange for this reduction in pay, each employee shall receive eight hours of PLP 2012 Program leave credits on the first day of each monthly pay period. This subdivision shall not apply to retired annuitants or to employees of entities listed in Section 3.90 of the Budget Act of 2012.

(2) Notwithstanding any other law, for the period from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, inclusive, a state employee shall participate in the Personal Leave Program 2020 (PLP 2020 Program), either as required by an applicable memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Section 3517.5 or by the direction of the department for excluded employees. Under the PLP 2020 Program, each employee shall receive a reduction in pay not greater than 10 percent. In exchange for this reduction in pay, each employee shall receive up to 16 hours of PLP 2020 Program leave credits on the first day of each monthly pay period. This subdivision shall not apply to retired annuitants or to employees of entities listed in Section 3.90 of the Budget Act of 2020.

(3) Notwithstanding any other law, for the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027, inclusive, a state employee in Bargaining Unit 6 shall participate in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025), as required by an applicable memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Section 3517.5 or by the direction of the department for excluded employees. Under PLP 2025, each employee in Bargaining Unit 6 shall receive a reduction in pay not greater than 3 percent. In exchange for this reduction in pay, on the first day of each monthly pay period, each employee shall receive up to five hours of PLP 2025 leave credits, except that an employee with the class title Fire Captain (Class Code 9001) and Ranges L or M (192-hour schedule) or Ranges N or P (216-hour schedule) shall receive up to seven hours of PLP 2025 leave credits. This subdivision shall not apply to employees of entities listed in Section 3.90 of the Budget Act of 2025.

(4) Notwithstanding any other law, for the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027, inclusive, a state employee in Bargaining Unit 9 or Bargaining Unit 12 shall participate in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025), as required by an applicable memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Section 3517.5. Under PLP 2025, each employee in Bargaining Unit 9 or 12 shall receive a reduction in pay not greater than 3 percent. In exchange for this reduction in pay, on the first day of each monthly pay period, each employee shall receive up to five hours of PLP 2025 leave credits. This subdivision shall not apply to employees of entities listed in Section 3.90 of the Budget Act of 2025.

(5) Notwithstanding any other law, for the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027, inclusive, a state employee in State Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, and 21 shall participate in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025), either as required by an applicable memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Section 3517.5 or by the direction of the department for excluded employees. Under PLP 2025, each employee in State Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, and 21 shall receive a reduction in pay not greater than the amount listed in an applicable memorandum of understanding or as directed by the department for excluded employees. In exchange for this reduction in pay, each employee shall receive PLP 2025 leave credits on the first day of each monthly pay period, at the rate outlined in the applicable memorandum of understanding or as directed by the department for excluded employees. This subdivision shall not apply to employees of entities listed in Section 3.90 of the Budget Act of 2025.

(6) Notwithstanding any other law, beginning on the first day of the pay period following ratification and ending on June 30, 2027, inclusive, a state employee in State Bargaining Units 8, 10, and 18 shall participate in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025), either as required by an applicable memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Section 3517.5 or by the direction of the department for excluded employees. Under PLP 2025, each employee in State Bargaining Units 8, 10, and 18 shall receive a reduction in pay not greater than the amount listed in an applicable memorandum of understanding or as directed by the department for excluded employees. In exchange for this reduction in pay, each employee shall receive PLP 2025 leave credits on the first day of each monthly pay period, at the rate outlined in the applicable memorandum of understanding or as directed by the department for excluded employees. This subdivision shall not apply to employees of entities listed in Section 3.90 of the Budget Act of 2025.

Notes and commentary — not statutory text

History

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 114, Sec. 8. (SB 161) Effective September 17, 2025.

Source of truth

Edition
As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
Official file
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=19851.
Text hash
sha256 bb156b7d1b61479913e3b0924cc64151458c3ab3e7a70e4d135342efe27e876a
Composed by
compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section

This section cites

Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.

Cited by 6 provisions

Provisions in this library whose text cites Gov. Code, § 19851. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.

Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.