Raise the Wage | Wages LA

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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

Online Complaint Form (Short Form)

English

MW-4 MWO Complaint Intake Form (Long Form)

Third Party Representative Form

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
7/1/2021	$15.00	$15.00

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

2021 Los Angeles Minimum Wage & Paid Sick Leave Poster

2020 Los Angeles Minimum Wage & Paid Sick Leave Poster

COVID-19 Related Information

This is about the idea, that Americans ideal, that when someone works hard, they should be able to support themselves, and they should be able to support their families.

Eric Garcetti

Mayor