2023 Minimum Wage Rate
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.
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) and Healthcare Workers Minimum Wage Ordinance (HWMWO)
All covered Employers must fully comply with these Ordinances on the 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 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
Effective Date Suspended
Due to the current public health concern, walk-in consultations are suspended until further notice.
For help or information, call 1-844-WAGESLA or email wagesla@lacity.org.
For more information on COVID-19, please visit http://coronavirus.lacity.org/.
Dado a las consideraciones actuales de la salud publica, las consultas sin cita previa son suspendidas.
Para más información por favor llame a 1-844-WAGESLA or envie un correo electrónico a wagesla@lacity.org.
Para obtener más información sobre el COVID-19, visite http://coronavirus.lacity.org/.
Need assistance in another language? Please call 3-1-1.
Office of Wage Standards
The Office of Wage Standards (OWS) of the Bureau of Contract Administration is responsible for implementing and administering the guidelines of the Los Angeles Minimum Wage and Minimum Wage Enforcement Ordinances in the City of Los Angeles. The OWS ensures that employers in the City comply with the appropriate minimum wage rates specified by the Ordinance through community outreach and investigation of potential wage theft violations to advance labor standards in the City.
Employer
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
Employee
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 |
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.
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.
Documents
2023 Los Angeles Minimum Wage & Paid Sick Leave Poster
2022 Los Angeles Minimum Wage & Paid Sick Leave Poster
Other Documents
Fair Work Week Information
Introduction
The City of Los Angeles Fair Work Week Ordinance (FWWO) is being implemented to provide workers of large retail businesses with stable and predictable schedules, additional opportunities to work, and other employment protections. The Ordinance will go into effect on April 1, 2023 with an initial grace period of 180 days focused on employer education and outreach. Full enforcement of the FWWO, including fines and penalties, will begin on September 28, 2023.
Who is covered by the Ordinance?
A covered Employer has 300 or more employees globally, and is identified as a retail business in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In addition, the Employer must exercise control over the wages, hours or working conditions of any Employee. Workers employed through temporary services, staffing agencies, subsidiaries and certain franchises count toward the 300 global employee threshold.
An Employee is 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 a covered Employer and is entitled to earn the California minimum wage. This Employee is covered by the FWWO regardless of immigration status or employment status whether the Employee is full-time, part-time, seasonal, or temporary.
Employer Requirements
Under the FWWO, covered Employers are required to:
- Provide all Employees with a good faith estimate of their future Work Schedules:
- For new Employees, the estimate must be provided before hiring.
- For current Employees, the estimate must be provided within ten (10) days of an Employee’s request.
- If an Employee’s actual work hours substantially deviate from the estimate, Employers must have a documented, legitimate, business reason that was unknown at the time of the estimate, to substantiate the deviation.
- Engage with Employees on their preferences for certain times, hours, or locations for their Work Schedule. Employers may accept or decline requests, but the reason for a denial must be provided to Employees in writing.
- Provide Employees advance notice of their Work Schedules at least 14 calendar days before the start of a work period, by posting the schedule in an accessible location or by electronically transmitting the schedule.
- If an Employer makes changes to an Employee’s Work Schedule with less than 14 days notice, the Employer must provide the Employee with written notice of those changes.
- Employees have the right to decline certain changes to their Work Schedule that are made with less than 14 days notice. If an Employee voluntarily consents to the changes, the consent must be in writing
- Provide Predictability Pay for certain Employer-initiated changes to Work Schedules made with less than 14 days’ notice from the start of the work period, as set forth in the chart below. Note: Certain conditions may exempt Employers from having to provide Predictability Pay. See LAMC Ch. XVIII Art. 5 Sec. 185.06.B for the full list of exemptions.
Predictability Pay Schedule
| Employer-initiated Change | Predictability Pay |
|---|---|
| Increase in hours that exceeds 15 minutes | One (1) hour at the Employee’s regular rate of pay |
| Change to the date, time, or location | One (1) hour at the Employee’s regular rate of pay for each change |
| Reduction of hours by at least 15 minutes | Hours not worked at one-half the Employee’s regular rate of pay |
| On-call shift, when the employer does not call the employee to perform work | Hours not worked at one-half the Employee’s regular rate of pay |
- Offer additional work hours to current Employees before hiring new Employees. Before hiring new Employees, Employers must give current Employees 72 hours’ written notice of the availability of additional work hours if:
- one or more current Employees are qualified to do the work, and
- additional work hours would not result in the payment of overtime.
- Provide Rest Between Shifts: Employers must obtain an Employee’s written consent before scheduling any "clopening" Shift. This is when Employees are scheduled to work a closing Shift that begins on one workday followed by an opening Shift the next workday. If the second Shift starts less than ten (10) hours after the end of the previous Shift, Employers must pay Employees time and a half for the Shift following the insufficient rest period.
- Allow Employees to miss shifts without finding coverage, if the Employee is unable to work for a reason protected by law.
- Post the Office of Wage Standards notice in a conspicuous place at any workplace or job site in English and any other language spoken by at least five percent (5%) of the Employees at the workplace or job site.
- Retain documentation of the following types of records for at least three (3) years:
- Work Schedules,
- Copies of written offers and responses for additional work hours,
- Written correspondence about Work Schedule changes,
- Good faith estimates of Work Schedules, and
- Any other records that may be required to comply with the FWWO.
Administrative Penalties and Fines for Violations
Employers who violate the Fair Work Week Ordinance (FWWO) may have to pay restitution and penalties to each Employee whose rights have been violated. Employers may also be liable to the City for a penalty of up to $50 per day that Predictability Pay is unlawfully withheld and additional administrative fines for other violations of the FWWO. For a complete list of penalties and administrative fines, please see LAMC Ch. XVIII Art. 8 Sec. 188.07 and 188.08.
Each and every day that a violation exists constitutes a separate and distinct violation. Any subsequent violation of the same provision by the same Employer within three years may result in a 50% increase in the maximum administrative fine allowed.
Employee Rights
If you are an Employee of a covered Employer (retail businesses with over 300 global employees), you have the following rights under the Fair Work Week Ordinance (FWWO).
| You may be entitled to… | Details |
|---|---|
| A Good Faith Estimate of your Work Schedule | Employers must provide you with a Good Faith Estimate of your Work Schedule in writing before hiring (new Employees) and within ten (10) days of your request (current Employees). If your actual work hours substantially deviate from this estimate, the Employer must substantiate this deviation. |
| Fourteen (14) days’ advance notice of your Work Schedule | Employers must provide your Work Schedule at least 14 calendar days in advance. The schedule must be posted in an area accessible to Employees or transmitted electronically. |
| Protections from certain schedule changes after the advance notice period | You have the right to decline certain changes made to your Work Schedule with less than 14 days’ notice. If you choose to accept schedule changes, you may be eligible for additional compensation known as Predictability Pay. See the Predictability Pay Schedule for more details. |
| Opportunities for additional work hours | Before hiring a new Employee, Employers must offer additional work hours to current Employees if they are qualified and if it would not result in overtime pay. |
| Rest between shifts | Employers should not schedule you for a "clopening" Shift. This is when you are scheduled for a closing Shift that begins on one workday followed by an opening Shift the next workday. You need to provide written consent to work the clopening Shift where the second Shift starts less than ten (10) hours from when your last Shift ended. If you choose to accept such a Shift, then you must be paid a premium of time and a half for the second Shift not separated by ten (10) hours. |
| Requests for certain schedule preferences | You have the right to request preferences in your Work Schedule. Although the Employer may decline your request, reasons for denials must be provided to you in writing. |
| Protections for missing work Shifts | You are not required to find coverage for a Shift where you are unable to work for reasons protected by the law. |
| Protection from retaliation | You have the right to exercise your rights under the FWWO without experiencing retaliation. |
Potential Remedies Available to Employees
Employees may be entitled to restitution and additional penalties for any violations of the Fair Work Week Ordinance (FWWO).
An Employee may file a complaint with the Office of Wage Standards (OWS) so long as the following takes place:
- The Employee provides written notice to the Employer of the FWWO violations. The notice should name the provisions of the ordinance alleged to have been violated and provide facts to support the alleged violations; and
- The Employer does not take action to cure the named violations within 15 calendar days from receipt of the written notice.
This is a summary of certain provisions of the Fair Work Week Ordinance (FWWO). For complete requirements of the FWWO, please refer to LAMC Ch. XVIII Art. 5 Sec. 185 and Art. 8 Sec. 188.
- Fair Work Week Poster - English
- Fair Work Week Poster - Spanish
- Fair Work Week Poster - Korean
- Fair Work Week Poster - Armenian
- Fair Work Week Poster - Chinese (Traditional)
- Fair Work Week Poster - Chinese (Simplified)
- Fair Work Week Poster - Tagalog
- Fair Work Week Poster - Farsi
- Fair Work Week Poster - Russian
- Fair Work Week Poster - Vietnamese
- Fair Work Week Poster - Japanese
- Fair Work Week Poster - Thai
- Fair Work Week Poster - Hindi
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.