Please refer to our home page for updated information on hiring and COVID 19 restrictions!

If you would like to hire a worker, please call the Center between the hours of 9:30am and 2:30pm at 707-829-1864. We are experiencing a high call volume. We will try to return your call the same day if possible. If not, you will return a call within 24 hours. 

All job requests need to be made 2-3 days in advance. This is our busiest season of the year.

Please note: Workers attend a mandatory membership meeting of the workers general assembly on Monday mornings. Jobs are not dispatched until 9am on Mondays.

We do not respond to work requests via email. Please call the Center directly if you have any questions.

Pay Scale

Please note that CLG is a worker-led center. All of the rules and wages governing the hiring process have been developed by  the general assembly of workers.

The wages below are minimum wages. Higher wages may be negotiated depending on the specifics of the job. The overall minimum wage for any job dispatched from the center is $25 per hour.

We encourage employers to pay fair and dignified wages to the workers!

Workers are not licensed contractors!

Information for Employers

Contractors State License Requirement

In California all businesses or individuals who construct, or alter, or offer to construct or alter any building, highway, road, parking facility, excavation, or other structure in California must be licensed by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) if the total cost (labor and materials) of one or more contracts on the projects is $500 or more.  Licenses maybe issued to individuals, partnerships, corporations, joint ventures or limited liability companies (LLC).

Owner-Builder Exemption and Responsibilities

Owner-builders who build or improve structures on their own property are not required to be licensed if they either do the work themselves or use their own employees (paid in wages).  However, Owner-builders hiring workers are subject to employment laws that include securing workers compensation insurance. Additional information regarding workers compensation insurance requirements can be accessed at http://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/employer.htm

Penalty for Unlicensed Practice

Contracting without a license is usually a misdemeanor.  Unlicensed contractors face a first offense sentence of six months in jail and/or a $5,000 fine, and potential administrative fines of $200 to $15,000.

For more information, feel free to contact us directly at (707) 829-1864.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What if I don’t speak Spanish?

No problem! Many of our workers speak varying levels of English and our hiring coordinators are available to assist you with translation as well. If necessary, you can also call us during the job to ask for interpretation over the phone (as staff capacity permits). We are here to make the experience work for you, and make hiring a practice you are likely to repeat.

What are the rates?

The day laborers and domestic workers at the Center collectively set wages for each type of job matched between the worker and employer through the day labor center's hiring process. The minimum wage for any work negotiated through the Graton Day Labor Center is $25/hour. Higher minimum wages apply for heavier and/or more skilled labor. Details in the table above.

Domestic workers have set their wages at $100 for the first four hours and then $25/hour for additional hours (general cleaning) and $30/hour for deep cleaning - oven cleaning, window washing, laundry, and move-in or move-out cleaning. Details in the table above.

Do I have to hire for a set minimum number of hours?

Yes, we have a four hour minimum for all jobs except for housecleaning which has a three hour minimum paid at a fixed rate of $100. Any job less than 4 hours will be set at a higher fixed rate. 

What is my tax liability?

Under Federal Law, if you are hiring a temporary worker for residential employment only, the Internal Revenue Service does not require the reporting of wages up to $1,700.00 per person per year. [Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Services. Household Employer’s Tax Guide, Publication 926]. Under California Law, if you are hiring a temporary worker for residential employment only, the Employment Development Department does not require the reporting of wages up to $750 per quarter per person or a total of $3,000 per person per year. There is no requirement to complete an I-9 form, for a sporadic or intermittent temporary worker, by a residential employer according to the Department of Homeland Security’s Employment Manual. You may hire more than one temporary worker at any one time or multiple workers in a quarter or a calendar year for residential employment. Please note that these are statements we found published on government websites. You should consult your own accountant or tax lawyer to determine what your tax liability may be for hiring a day laborer.

What about transportation?

Many workers have cars and can drive to job sites. Some workers travel via public transportation and need to be picked up at the Center by the employer.  Please let us know when you call if you are available to transport workers to your job site. There is a gas fee of $10 each for workers who travel 15 miles or more to the job site.

What about breaks?

When you hire a day laborer or domestic worker you are considered an employer and as such need to assure that workers are provided with access to clean drinking water and bathrooms while they are on the job.

You will also need to make sure they take paid rest breaks and unpaid meal breaks as required by state and federal law. 

Rest Breaks are paid 10 minute breaks (for a six hour shift 1-10 min. rest break & 1-30 min. meal break/for an 8 hour shift 2-10 min. rest breaks & 1-30 min. meal break)

Meal breaks are unpaid 30 minute breaks and may be waived by worker (in writing) if the shift is only six hours.

Overtime Pay - Workers should be paid 1.5 x their hourly wage for any hours workers over 8 hours in a day.