Legal Question in Employment Law in California

The owner must comply with minimum-wage laws. It is conceivable, however, that your current compensation could be divided between the two companies such that those laws are obeyed.

Without knowing more about your situation, it is impossible to tell whether the arrangement your employer proposes is lawful.

Every employee is entitled to be paid for the time worked. If you refuse to work for free and demand your pay, then are fired, you would have grounds for an 'illegal termination' case. If serious about hiring counsel to help in this, and if this is in SoCal courts, feel free to contact me. I�ll be happy to help fight and get the best outcome possible.