Announcement: 2024 Minimum Wage Rate Increase
The new Minimum Wage Rate - effective July 1st of each year - is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which is published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
California Fast Food Minimum Wage
The Fast Food Minimum Wage (AB 1228) is a State law that came into effect on April 1, 2024. For more information, please visit https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/Fast-Food-Minimum-Wage-FAQ.htm.
Paid Sick Leave Notice
Most Employers in Los Angeles are subject to federal, State and City minimum wage laws; generally, an Employer must comply with the more stringent law.
Senate Bill 616 (effective January 1, 2024), does not preempt the City's Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO), which contains more stringent paid sick leave requirements. The Office of Wage Standards (OWS) will continue enforcing the City's paid sick leave requirements accordingly.
For questions regarding compliance with State and federal laws in other local jurisdictions with minimum wage ordinances, please contact the local wage enforcement agency, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement of the State of California or the United States Department of Labor.
Walk-in consultations are by apointment only.
To schedule an appointment, call 1-844-WAGESLA or email wagesla@lacity.org.
Las consultas en persona son solamente con cita previa.
Para más información por favor llame a 1-844-WAGESLA or envie un correo electrónico a wagesla@lacity.org.
Need assistance in another language? Please call 3-1-1.
Office of Wage Standards
The Office of Wage Standards (OWS) is the designated agency tasked with administering and enforcing the City's minimum wage and labor standards, which includes paid sick leave, fair hiring practices for private Employers, and a stable and predictable work week for retail employees in the City. The OWS is also the administrative agency for other employment protections such as hotel workers and freelance workers. The OWS ensures that Employers in the City comply with the appropriate minimum wage rates and labor standards specified by our Ordinances through community outreach and investigation of potential violations.
Minimum Wage Ordinance for Employers
Employer means any person, as defined in the California Labor Code including a corporate officer or executive, who directly or indirectly or through an agent or any other person, including through the services of a temporary services or staffing agency or similar entity, employs or exercises control over the wages, hours or working conditions of any Employee.
Employer Requirements
- Employer must pay hourly minimum wage and provide paid sick leave for hours worked within the geographic boundaries of the City.
- Employer must post the Office of Wage Standards Wage and Sick Time Notice in a conspicuous place at any workplace or job site in English and any other language(s) spoken by at least five percent (5%) of the Employees at the workplace or job site.
- Employer must keep payroll records for four (4) years.
- Employer must provide employees with the Employer's name, address, and telephone number in writing at the time of hire.
- Retaliation against any Employee exercising rights under the Minimum Wage and Office of Wage Standards Ordinances is prohibited.
Important Forms
Minimum Wage Ordinance for Employees
Employee means any individual who in any particular week performs at least two (2) hours of work within the geographic boundaries of the City of Los Angeles for any Employer and is entitled to earn the California minimum wage. This Employee is covered by the Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO) regardless of immigration status or employment status whether the Employee is full-time, part-time, temporary, etc.
Employee Remedies include, but are not limited to, the following:
An aggrieved Employee may file a civil court action.
- Payment of wages unlawfully withheld;
- Payment of Sick Time Benefits unlawfully withheld; and/or
- An additional penalty of up to $120 to the Employee and up to $50 to the City for each day that either violation occurred or continued.
- In cases of retaliation, the Employee may be entitled to reinstatement and trebled the above.
Important Forms
Information
Wage Schedule Chart
Starting July 1, 2016, the minimum wage in the City of Los Angeles will increase according to the following schedules:
| Effective Date | Employers with 26 or more Employees | Employers with 25 or fewer Employees or Non-Profit Corporations with 26 or more Employees with approval to pay a deferred rate |
|---|---|---|
| 7/1/2016 | $10.50 | $10.00 (CA State Minimum Wage) |
| 7/1/2017 | $12.00 | $10.50 |
| 7/1/2018 | $13.25 | $12.00 |
| 7/1/2019 | $14.25 | $13.25 |
| 7/1/2020 | $15.00 | $14.25 |
| Effective Date | All Employers | |
| 7/1/2021 | $15.00 | |
| 7/1/2022 | $16.04 | |
| 7/1/2023 | $16.78 | |
| 7/1/2024 | $17.28 | |
After 2021, the new Minimum Wage Rate will be updated annually and it will be based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which is published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The adjusted rate will be announced on February 1st of each year and become effective on July 1st of each year. On February 1st, the new rate will be updated here on our website.
Paid Sick Leave Chart
Starting July 1, 2016, all Employers, except for Employers with 25 or fewer Employees, will be required to provide paid sick leave according to the Los Angeles Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO). The paid sick leave will be provided to all Employees who work at least two hours in a particular week in the City of Los Angeles for the same Employer for 30 days or more within a year. Employers with 25 or fewer Employees begin providing sick leave benefits on July 1, 2017.
Please Note: Senate Bill 616 (effective January 1, 2024), does not preempt the City's Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO), which contains more stringent paid sick leave requirements. The Office of Wage Standards (OWS) will continue enforcing the City's paid sick leave requirements accordingly.
Entitlement
| Front-Loading | At least 48 hours provided either at the beginning of each year of employment, calendar year, or 12-month period; OR - |
| Accrual | One (1) hour of paid sick leave for every thirty (30) hours worked. |
| 72-Hour Cap | Accrued unused paid sick leave shall carry over to the following year of employment and may be capped at a minimum of 72 hours; however, an Employer may choose no cap or a higher cap. |
| Separation from employment | An Employer is not required to provide compensation to an Employee for accrued or unused sick days at separation from employment. |
| Reinstatement | If an Employee is re-hired within one (1) year of separation from employment, previously accrued and unused paid sick leave shall be reinstated. |
Usage
| When | An Employee may use paid sick leave beginning on the 90th day of employment or July 1, 2016, whichever is later. |
| How | An Employer shall provide paid sick leave upon the oral or written request of an Employee for themselves or a family member, or for any individual related by blood or affinity. Qualified use of time can be found in LAMC Section 187.04(G). |
| The use of paid sick leave may be limited to 48 hours leave annually. |
Administrative Fines for Violations
Each and every day that a violation exists constitutes a separate and distinct violation. Any administrative fine assessed within a three (3)-year period in any Notice of Correction and determined to be a subsequent violation of the same provision by the same Employer may be increased cumulatively by fifty (50) percent from the maximum administrative fine allowed.
| Violation | Fine Amount |
|---|---|
| Failure to post notice of the Los Angeles Minimum Wage rate and Sick Time Benefits- Municipal Code Section 188.03(A) | Up to $500 |
| Failure to allow access to payroll records - Municipal Code Section 188.03(B) | Up to $500 |
| Failure to maintain payroll records or to retain payroll records for four years - Municipal Code Section 188.03(B) | Up to $500 |
| Failure to allow access for inspection of books and records or to interview employees - Municipal Code Section 188.03(C) | Up to $500 |
| Retaliation for exercising rights under this article - Municipal Code Section 188.04 - The Penalty for retaliation is up to $1,000 per employee. | Up to $1,000 |
| Failure to provide employer's name, address, and telephone number in writing - Municipal Code Section 188.03(A) or 188.05(B) | Up to $500 |
| Failure to cooperate with the Division's investigation - Municipal Code Section 188.05(B) | Up to $500 |
| Failure to post Notice of Correction to employees - Municipal Code Section 188.06(D) | Up to $500 |
This is a summary of certain provisions of the MWO. For complete requirements of the MWO, please refer to LAMC Sections 187 and 188.
MWO Documents
2024 Los Angeles Minimum Wage & Paid Sick Leave Poster
2023 Los Angeles Minimum Wage & Paid Sick Leave Poster
Other Documents
Ordinance Updates
Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance (FWPO)
The Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance (FWPO) provides protections to freelance workers to help ensure they are treated fairly and compensated in a timely manner. The Ordinance is effective as of July 1, 2023.
Citywide Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance (CHWMWO)
The CHWMWO requires Hotel Employers of hotels with 150 or more guest rooms to pay their employees a CHW minimum wage and provide 96 compensated hours of time off and at least 80 additional hours of uncompensated time off per year. As of August 12, 2022, the CHWMWO applies to hotels with 60 or more guest rooms.
Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance (HWPO)
All covered Employers must fully comply with these Ordinances on their respective effective dates.
Please note: The Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance Rules and Regulations are posted for consideration by employers and employees to understand their responsibilities and rights. We anticipate that these Rules and Regulations will be updated and encourage those implementing the Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance to check this page regularly for the latest guidance. These Rules and Regulations are still under discussion and will be finalized and published as soon as possible. A court enforcing this Ordinance may disagree with this guidance and therefore employers should rely upon the advice of their legal counsel.
Effective July 1, 2023
Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance- Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance Fact Sheet
- Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance Rules and Regulations
- Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance Complaint Form
- Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance Complaint Form (Spanish)
- Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance Model Contract
Effective August 12, 2022
- Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance
- Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance Notice (English)
- Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance Notice (Spanish)
- Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance Notice of Workers' Rights (English)
- Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance Notice of Workers' Rights (Spanish)
- Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance Rules and Regulations
- Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance Waiver Application
COVID-19 Related Information
As a result of Mayor Garcetti and the City Council's actions to end the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration on February 1, 2023, Mayor Garcetti's Public Order regarding Supplemental Paid Sick Leave expired two weeks after February 1, 2023.
Per LAMC 200.110, the Premium Hazard Pay Ordinance (PHPO) was set to expire 120 days after March 8, 2021. Since July 7, 2021, the PHPO is no longer in effect.
The City of Los Angeles Right of Recall Ordinance (RORO) subjected specified businesses in Los Angeles to recall provisions for certain workers laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. The RORO no longer applies since Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation terminating the state's COVID-19 State of Emergency on February 28, 2023.
The City's Worker Retention Ordinance (WRO) subjected specified business in Los Angeles to worker retention provisions for certain workers when a change of ownership or control occurs within two years following the declaration of emergency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The WRO no longer applies since the City's declaration of emergency and Safer at Home orders were issued on March 19, 2020, which exceeds the two-year time frame.