Attorneys working in the California Department of Justice could see their pay temporarily slashed to zero if the budget impasse continues, a Department of Personnel Administration spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Lynelle Jolley said that employees in almost every agency, including those controlled by elected constitutional officers like Attorney General Jerry Brown, are covered by the pay-cut order signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week. The order strips the hourly pay of employees covered by the Federal Labor Standards Act to $6.55 an hour. Salaried state employees exempt from the FLSA, including deputy attorneys general, would be paid nothing. Both groups would receive back pay once a budget is signed. And Jolley said that all workers will retain their health care coverage even if their salaries are cut.
