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Colorado potato packing plant operator Smokin’ Spuds and Farming Technology Inc. recently settled a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by the federalEqual Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)on behalf of more than a dozen women. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the plaintiffs’ supervisor repeatedly engaged in sexually inappropriate actions including making sexual comments and gestures, propositioning the women, and touching them on their buttocks and breasts. The EEOC asserted
Colorado potato packing plant operator Smokin’ Spuds and Farming Technology Inc. recently settled a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of more than a dozen women. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the plaintiffs’ supervisor repeatedly engaged in sexually inappropriate actions including making sexual comments and gestures, propositioning the women, and touching them on their buttocks and breasts. The EEOC asserted the women were either ignored or fired after complaining to management.
According to the EEOC’s October 7, 2015 press release, the settlement requires the defendants to pay $450,000 in monetary relief; provide extensive training for employees, supervisors and human resources officials on employment discrimination laws; write apology letters to the affected women; post a notice of employees’ rights to be free of harassment and retaliation; distribute equal employment opportunity policies in English and Spanish; and terminate the accused supervisor.
EEOC Regional Attorney Mary Jo O’Neill observed, “This type of misconduct that is allowed to go on over a period of several years – with a number of different women experiencing a gauntlet of harassment from the same supervisor – has no place in the workplace. We believe that our lawsuit and the significant relief obtained in this settlement will send the message, not only to the defendants, but to the entire produce packing industry, that EEOC will not tolerate this kind of abuse – or retaliation for complaining about it.”
Although employers are generally aware that sexual harassment is unlawful, such claims continue to be on the rise. As covered in our blog “Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Required for 2015,” California employers with 50 or more employees/independent contractors must provide two hours of sex harassment prevention training to all California supervisors within six months of hire or promotion and every two years thereafter. For the tremendous negative impact improper conduct can create in the workplace, all supervisors and employees should receive periodic harassment prevention training, regardless of company size.
Many California employers face a December 31, 2015 to complete this required, every-other-year training and education for its managers. We offer our live interactive seminar:
• At your location: For larger companies, we are now setting dates through December, 2015 to provide on-site seminars for a flat fee.
• Two scheduled sessions in Pasadena: We are providing half-day sessions on Friday, October 30, 2015 and Friday, November 20, 2015 at the Pasadena Senior Center. The fee is $65 per attendee, places secured by advance reservation.
For more information, please contact Registrar@tbowleslaw.com.
Cindy Bamforth, October 16, 2015
As in our blog “Don’t be Haunted by Your Office Halloween Party,” workplace celebrations of the occasion can build teamwork and morale if properly planned and managed. We’ve put together some suggested do’s and don’ts to help make your Halloween party a smashing success.
As in our blog “Don’t be Haunted by Your Office Halloween Party,” workplace celebrations of the occasion can build teamwork and morale if properly planned and managed. We’ve put together some suggested do’s and don’ts to help make your Halloween party a smashing success.
DO: Evaluate what type of Halloween festivities best fit your company’s culture.
DO: Consider ways to celebrate the occasion that minimize the chances for unwanted romantic advances and other improper conduct, for example holding a Halloween luncheon (and not a night party) or including workplace-appropriate team building games and activities.
DO: Make participation in your Halloween celebration voluntary. Respect employees who do not wish to take part.
DO: If you allow costumes, provide advance guidelines, including examples of inappropriate get-ups such as skimpy outfits and costumes likely to be insulting or offensive to other races, cultures, religions, etc.
DO: Apply discipline as needed, such as sending an employee home to change if the costume is inappropriate for the workplace.
DON’T: Allow supervisors to behave inappropriately. Supervisors and managers must be role models and set the example.
DON’T: Look the other way if an employee is being teased about his or her outfit. Such teasing can lead to a harassment claim against management if management stands by and does nothing.
DON’T: Encourage employees to dress as other co-workers. Such impersonations can lead to mockery or other inappropriate conduct, hurt feelings and/or harassment claims.
DON’T: Allow alcohol consumption. As stated in our prior blog, your company can be liable for physical injuries incurred or sexual harassment committed by a person served alcohol at a company-sponsored party, whether on or off the job or on or off company premises.
For further assistance this holiday season, please contact one of our attorneys Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.
Cindy Bamforth, October 16, 2015
Workplace Halloween parties can build teamwork and morale if properly planned and managed. Some suggested do's and don'ts to help make yours a smashing success:
Workplace Halloween parties can build teamwork and morale if properly planned and managed. Some suggested do's and don'ts to help make yours a smashing success:
DO: Evaluate what type of Halloween festivities best fit your company's culture.
DO: Consider ways to celebrate the occasion that minimize the chances for unwanted romantic advances and other improper conduct, for example holding a Halloween luncheon (and not a night party) or including workplace-appropriate team building games and activities.
DO: Make participation in your Halloween celebration voluntary. Respect employees who do not wish to take part.
DO: If you allow costumes, provide advance guidelines, including examples of inappropriate get-ups such as skimpy outfits and costumes likely to be insulting or offensive to other races, cultures, religions, etc.
DO: Apply discipline as needed, such as sending an employee home to change if the costume is inappropriate for the workplace.
DON'T: Allow supervisors to behave inappropriately. Supervisors and managers must be role models and set the example.
DON'T: Look the other way if an employee is being teased about his or her outfit. Such teasing can lead to a harassment claim if management stands by and does nothing.
DON'T: Encourage employees to dress as other co-workers. Such impersonations can lead to mockery or other inappropriate conduct, hurt feelings and/or harassment claims.
DON'T: Allow alcohol consumption. Your business can be liable for physical injuries incurred or sexual harassment committed by a person served alcohol at a company-sponsored party, whether on or off the job or on or off company premises.
For further assistance this holiday season, please contact one of our attorneys Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.
See also:
Tim Bowles
Cindy Bamforth
October 7, 2022
(Originally published October 16, 2015)
California law requires employers with 50 or more employees and/or independent contractors to provide at least two hours of interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment to all supervisors in California at least every two years.The next bi-annual deadline for many California employers is December 31, 2015. This training must include information and practical guidance regarding federal and state law prohibiting and preventing workplace sexual harassment. A supervisor is defined a
California law requires employers with 50 or more employees and/or independent contractors to provide at least two hours of interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment to all supervisors in California at least every two years. The next bi-annual deadline for many California employers is December 31, 2015. This training must include information and practical guidance regarding federal and state law prohibiting and preventing workplace sexual harassment. A supervisor is defined as “Supervisor means any individual having the authority, in the interest of the employer, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees, or the responsibility to direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommend that action, if, in connection with the foregoing, the exercise of that authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment.” The training must include practical examples of how to prevent harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and abusive conduct.
The courts are full of employment-related lawsuits that likely could have been prevented with better supervisory/management training. Witness the recent settlement in Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) v. Ruby Tuesday, Inc.
In Spring, 2013, international restaurant chain Ruby Tuesday (an estimated 34,000 workers in 15 countries) posted an announcement within a 10-western states region for temporary summer positions in Park City, Utah with company-provided housing. According to the EEOC, the job posting limited applications to females only and Ruby Tuesday selected only women for those lucrative summer jobs. The restaurant chain justified its one-gender program by its concerns over housing male and female employees in the same dormitory.
The EEOC, responsible for enforcing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (nicknamed “Title VII”) and other federal workplace anti-discrimination laws, sued Ruby Tuesday on behalf of two male employees, seeking monetary damages, required anti-discrimination training for supervisors, and the restaurant chain’s posting of warning notices throughout its multi-state network. Announcing the lawsuit, EEOC Attorney William R. Tamayo stated, “It’s rare to see an explicit example of sex discrimination like Ruby Tuesday’s internal job announcement. This suit is a cautionary tale to employers that sex-based employment decisions are rarely justified, and are not consistent with good business judgment.”
The parties settled the suit in May, 2015. According to the EEOC, Ruby Tuesday agreed to pay the two male employees a total of $100,000 and to take steps to prevent future sex discrimination, including Title VII training to its regional managers and employees (an estimated 1,600 individuals at 49 different locations) and posting reminder notices of the settlement terms on its website and at its restaurants.
The Law Offices of Timothy Bowles provides the required anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training and education that California directs for supervisors of covered employers. During October, November and December, 2015, our seminar delivery can or will be:
• At your location on available date(s): For larger companies, we can provide an on-site seminar at your place of business for a flat fee.
• In Pasadena, on Friday, October 30, 2015 and on Friday, November 20, 2015, by reservation: We are providing these two sessions at minimum at the Pasedena Senior Center for individual supervisors to attend locally. The fee is $65 per attendee.
For more information about our harassment and discrimination prevention training or workplace forms and policies, please contact Mary Cinquegrani in our office: (626) 583-6600 or seminars@tbowleslaw.com.
Cindy Bamforth, October 6, 2015
California law requires employers with 50 or more employees and/or independent contractors to provide at least two hours of interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment to all supervisors in California at least every two years.The next bi-annual deadline for many California employers is December 31, 2015. This training must include information and practical guidance regarding federal and state law prohibiting and preventing workplace sexual harassment. A supervisor is defined a
California law requires employers with 50 or more employees and/or independent contractors to provide at least two hours of interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment to all supervisors in California at least every two years. The next bi-annual deadline for many California employers is December 31, 2015. This training must include information and practical guidance regarding federal and state law prohibiting and preventing workplace sexual harassment. A supervisor is defined as “Supervisor means any individual having the authority, in the interest of the employer, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees, or the responsibility to direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommend that action, if, in connection with the foregoing, the exercise of that authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment.” The training must include practical examples of how to prevent harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and abusive conduct.
The courts are full of employment-related lawsuits that likely could have been prevented with better supervisory/management training. Witness the recent settlement in Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) v. Ruby Tuesday, Inc.
In Spring, 2013, international restaurant chain Ruby Tuesday (an estimated 34,000 workers in 15 countries) posted an announcement within a 10-western states region for temporary summer positions in Park City, Utah with company-provided housing. According to the EEOC, the job posting limited applications to females only and Ruby Tuesday selected only women for those lucrative summer jobs. The restaurant chain justified its one-gender program by its concerns over housing male and female employees in the same dormitory.
The EEOC, responsible for enforcing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (nicknamed “Title VII”) and other federal workplace anti-discrimination laws, sued Ruby Tuesday on behalf of two male employees, seeking monetary damages, required anti-discrimination training for supervisors, and the restaurant chain’s posting of warning notices throughout its multi-state network. Announcing the lawsuit, EEOC Attorney William R. Tamayo stated, “It’s rare to see an explicit example of sex discrimination like Ruby Tuesday’s internal job announcement. This suit is a cautionary tale to employers that sex-based employment decisions are rarely justified, and are not consistent with good business judgment.”
The parties settled the suit in May, 2015. According to the EEOC, Ruby Tuesday agreed to pay the two male employees a total of $100,000 and to take steps to prevent future sex discrimination, including Title VII training to its regional managers and employees (an estimated 1,600 individuals at 49 different locations) and posting reminder notices of the settlement terms on its website and at its restaurants.
The Law Offices of Timothy Bowles provides the required anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training and education that California directs for supervisors of covered employers. During October, November and December, 2015, our seminar delivery can or will be:
• At your location on available date(s): For larger companies, we can provide an on-site seminar at your place of business for a flat fee.
• In Pasadena, on Friday, October 30, 2015 and on Friday, November 20, 2015, by reservation: We are providing these two sessions at minimum at the Pasedena Senior Center for individual supervisors to attend locally. The fee is $65 per attendee.
For more information about our harassment and discrimination prevention training or workplace forms and policies, please contact Mary Cinquegrani in our office: (626) 583-6600 or seminars@tbowleslaw.com.
Cindy Bamforth, October 6, 2015
Our prior articles “Mandatory Paid Sick Leave For California Employees” and “Shall the Fog Be Forever Forsaken? California Labor Commissioner Again Attempts to Resolve Questions on New Paid Sick Leave Benefits Law” cover provisions of California’s new paid sick leave (PSL) Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (the Act), key portions of which went into effect July 1, 2015.
Our prior articles “Mandatory Paid Sick Leave For California Employees” and “Shall the Fog Be Forever Forsaken? California Labor Commissioner Again Attempts to Resolve Questions on New Paid Sick Leave Benefits Law” cover provisions of California’s new paid sick leave (PSL) Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (the Act), key portions of which went into effect July 1, 2015.
Confusions in the Act’s language prompted proposed clean-up legislation (Assembly Bill [AB] 304) in February, 2015: “Proposed Amendments Aim to Modify the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act”. After numerous revisions, Governor Brown has signed AB 304 into law, effective July 13, 2015. The changes, many of them fairly technical, include:
1. Excluded Employees: Revised Labor Code 245.5(a) now excludes a “retired annuitant” of a government entity [a person receiving an annuity or pension] from PSL eligibility. That section also broadens the types of workers covered by construction industry collective bargaining agreements who can be excluded from receiving PSL benefits. Proposed AB 11, which would have extended PSL benefits to providers of “in-home supportive services,” did not pass. Thus, such caregiver employees continue to be excluded from the Act.
2. Eligible Employees Clarification: Under revised Labor Code 246(a), an employee who, on or after January 1, 2015, works in California for 30 or more days for the same employer within a year from the commencement of his or her employment becomes eligible for paid sick days.
3. Optional Accrual Methods: Originally the Act required an employer using an accrual method to provide a minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours actually worked. Revised Labor Code 246(b)) now allows an employer to implement a different accrual method provided that the accrual occurs regularly and the employee will have at least 24 hours of accrued sick leave or paid time off available by the 120th calendar day of employment or each calendar year or 12-month period.
4. Grandfathered Policies: Under revised Labor Code 246(e)(2), certain employer policies in existence prior to January 1, 2015, that have not yet been modified can be grandfathered so long as (i) they provide for regular accrual of paid sick leave (or “paid time off” [PTO]); (ii) the employee accrues at least one day or eight hours within three months of employment of each calendar year or 12-month period; and (iii) the employee was eligible to earn at least 24 hours/three days of paid sick leave/PTO within nine months of employment.
5. Reinstatement: Revised Labor Code 246(f) clarifies that the employer’s requirement to reinstate previously accrued and unused paid sick days for any employee rehired within one year from the separation date does not apply to employees who were paid out at the time of separation of employment.
6. Pay Stub Notification: Originally, the Act specified that all eligible employees must receive written notice of the amount of available paid sick leave or PTO on the employee’s pay stub or a separate writing provided with the employee’s payment of wages. Under revised Labor Code 246(h), an employer who provides unlimited sick leave to its employees (no maximum cap) may now meet this notice requirement by indicating “unlimited” [sick leave] on the employee’s itemized wage statement or in a separate writing provided on each designated pay date. Also, employers covered by Wage Orders 11 or 12 (broadcasting and motion picture industries) now have until January 21, 2016 to comply with the pay stub notification requirements.
7. Improved Hourly Rate Calculations: Revised Labor Code 246(k) now allows employers to select from several alternative calculations when determining how to pay PSL. For non-exempt employees, either (i) calculate pay in the same manner as the “regular rate of pay”* for the same workweek in which the employee uses paid sick time; or (ii) divide the employee’s total wages, not including overtime premium pay, by the employee’s total hours worked in the full pay periods of the prior 90 days of employment; and (iii) for exempt-from-overtime employees, calculate paid sick time in the same manner as the employer calculates wages for other forms of paid leave time.
* Regular rate of pay means the employee’s actual rate of pay, not just the straight hourly rate. It includes all hourly earnings plus compensation in the form of commissions, non-discretionary production bonuses, piece work compensation and the value of meals and lodging. To calculate the regular rate of pay divide the total of all such compensation by the total hours worked (including overtime hours) in the given pay period(s).
8. Record keeping Requirements: Although employers must maintain records for at least three years documenting the number of hours worked and paid sick days accrued and used, revised Labor Code 247.5(b) confirms an employer is not obligated to inquire into or record the purposes for which an employee uses PSL or PTO.
The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) is currently revising its Frequently-Asked Questions to address AB 304’s changes to the Act. We will continue to update the status of DLSE announcements and postings.
Employers should review their paid sick leave/PTO policies and workplace recordkeeping, timekeeping and payroll practices to ensure continued compliance with the modified Act.
For additional assistance understanding and implementing the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act, please contact one of our attorneys Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.
Cindy Bamforth, August 6, 2015
Our prior articles “Mandatory Paid Sick Leave For California Employees” and “Shall the Fog Be Forever Forsaken? California Labor Commissioner Again Attempts to Resolve Questions on New Paid Sick Leave Benefits Law” cover provisions of California’s new paid sick leave (PSL) Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (the Act), key portions of which went into effect July 1, 2015.
Our prior articles “Mandatory Paid Sick Leave For California Employees” and “Shall the Fog Be Forever Forsaken? California Labor Commissioner Again Attempts to Resolve Questions on New Paid Sick Leave Benefits Law” cover provisions of California’s new paid sick leave (PSL) Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (the Act), key portions of which went into effect July 1, 2015.
Confusions in the Act’s language prompted proposed clean-up legislation (Assembly Bill [AB] 304) in February, 2015: “Proposed Amendments Aim to Modify the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act”. After numerous revisions, Governor Brown has signed AB 304 into law, effective July 13, 2015. The changes, many of them fairly technical, include:
1. Excluded Employees: Revised Labor Code 245.5(a) now excludes a “retired annuitant” of a government entity [a person receiving an annuity or pension] from PSL eligibility. That section also broadens the types of workers covered by construction industry collective bargaining agreements who can be excluded from receiving PSL benefits. Proposed AB 11, which would have extended PSL benefits to providers of “in-home supportive services,” did not pass. Thus, such caregiver employees continue to be excluded from the Act.
2. Eligible Employees Clarification: Under revised Labor Code 246(a), an employee who, on or after January 1, 2015, works in California for 30 or more days for the same employer within a year from the commencement of his or her employment becomes eligible for paid sick days.
3. Optional Accrual Methods: Originally the Act required an employer using an accrual method to provide a minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours actually worked. Revised Labor Code 246(b)) now allows an employer to implement a different accrual method provided that the accrual occurs regularly and the employee will have at least 24 hours of accrued sick leave or paid time off available by the 120th calendar day of employment or each calendar year or 12-month period.
4. Grandfathered Policies: Under revised Labor Code 246(e)(2), certain employer policies in existence prior to January 1, 2015, that have not yet been modified can be grandfathered so long as (i) they provide for regular accrual of paid sick leave (or “paid time off” [PTO]); (ii) the employee accrues at least one day or eight hours within three months of employment of each calendar year or 12-month period; and (iii) the employee was eligible to earn at least 24 hours/three days of paid sick leave/PTO within nine months of employment.
5. Reinstatement: Revised Labor Code 246(f) clarifies that the employer’s requirement to reinstate previously accrued and unused paid sick days for any employee rehired within one year from the separation date does not apply to employees who were paid out at the time of separation of employment.
6. Pay Stub Notification: Originally, the Act specified that all eligible employees must receive written notice of the amount of available paid sick leave or PTO on the employee’s pay stub or a separate writing provided with the employee’s payment of wages. Under revised Labor Code 246(h), an employer who provides unlimited sick leave to its employees (no maximum cap) may now meet this notice requirement by indicating “unlimited” [sick leave] on the employee’s itemized wage statement or in a separate writing provided on each designated pay date. Also, employers covered by Wage Orders 11 or 12 (broadcasting and motion picture industries) now have until January 21, 2016 to comply with the pay stub notification requirements.
7. Improved Hourly Rate Calculations: Revised Labor Code 246(k) now allows employers to select from several alternative calculations when determining how to pay PSL. For non-exempt employees, either (i) calculate pay in the same manner as the “regular rate of pay”* for the same workweek in which the employee uses paid sick time; or (ii) divide the employee’s total wages, not including overtime premium pay, by the employee’s total hours worked in the full pay periods of the prior 90 days of employment; and (iii) for exempt-from-overtime employees, calculate paid sick time in the same manner as the employer calculates wages for other forms of paid leave time.
* Regular rate of pay means the employee’s actual rate of pay, not just the straight hourly rate. It includes all hourly earnings plus compensation in the form of commissions, non-discretionary production bonuses, piece work compensation and the value of meals and lodging. To calculate the regular rate of pay divide the total of all such compensation by the total hours worked (including overtime hours) in the given pay period(s).
8. Record keeping Requirements: Although employers must maintain records for at least three years documenting the number of hours worked and paid sick days accrued and used, revised Labor Code 247.5(b) confirms an employer is not obligated to inquire into or record the purposes for which an employee uses PSL or PTO.
The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) is currently revising its Frequently-Asked Questions to address AB 304’s changes to the Act. We will continue to update the status of DLSE announcements and postings.
Employers should review their paid sick leave/PTO policies and workplace recordkeeping, timekeeping and payroll practices to ensure continued compliance with the modified Act.
For additional assistance understanding and implementing the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act, please contact one of our attorneys Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.
Cindy Bamforth, August 6, 2015
On July 21, 2015,the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to increase the minimum wage in unincorporated portions of LA County. The enactment of this law follows on the heels of an identical move by the City of Los Angeles.Click here to see the LA County minimum wage schedule for 2016 to 2020.
On July 21, 2015, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to increase the minimum wage in unincorporated portions of LA County. The enactment of this law follows on the heels of an identical move by the City of Los Angeles. Click here to see the LA County minimum wage schedule for 2016 to 2020.
The County-approved measure will gradually increase the minimum wage each July over five years in identical increments, starting at $10.50/hour on July 1, 2016, then $12.00 (2017), $13.25 (2018), $14.25 (2019), and $15.00 (2020). Following 2020, minimum wage will adjust according to the cost of living.
Consistent with the City of Los Angeles, compliance of businesses with under 26 on payroll will start a year later. For example, a small office employing 8 – 10 persons will begin its required increases with $10.50/hour minimum by July 1, 2017.
The City of Los Angeles ordinance applies only to businesses located within the incorporated city limits. A business that pays taxes to the City or is under City utilities is likely covered by the City’s ordinance.
The County ordinance will apply only to locations not within the boundaries of the City of Los Angeles or of any other incorporated city. Thus, the new law will not reach a business within Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Palmdale, Burbank, Lancaster, Long Beach, or any of the other 81 incorporated municipalities in the county with a local government, e.g., a mayor, city council and local ordinances. The Los Angeles County website provides a directory and a map of its incorporated cities.
For further information on the LA County minimum wage schedule, please contact one of our attorneys Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.
Helena Kobrin, July 27, 2015
Click here for more data on the the LA County minimum wage schedule for 2016 to 2020.
On July 21, 2015,the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to increase the minimum wage in unincorporated portions of LA County. The enactment of this law follows on the heels of an identical move by the City of Los Angeles.Click here to see the LA County minimum wage schedule for 2016 to 2020.
On July 21, 2015, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to increase the minimum wage in unincorporated portions of LA County. The enactment of this law follows on the heels of an identical move by the City of Los Angeles. Click here to see the LA County minimum wage schedule for 2016 to 2020.
The County-approved measure will gradually increase the minimum wage each July over five years in identical increments, starting at $10.50/hour on July 1, 2016, then $12.00 (2017), $13.25 (2018), $14.25 (2019), and $15.00 (2020). Following 2020, minimum wage will adjust according to the cost of living.
Consistent with the City of Los Angeles, compliance of businesses with under 26 on payroll will start a year later. For example, a small office employing 8 – 10 persons will begin its required increases with $10.50/hour minimum by July 1, 2017.
The City of Los Angeles ordinance applies only to businesses located within the incorporated city limits. A business that pays taxes to the City or is under City utilities is likely covered by the City’s ordinance.
The County ordinance will apply only to locations not within the boundaries of the City of Los Angeles or of any other incorporated city. Thus, the new law will not reach a business within Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Palmdale, Burbank, Lancaster, Long Beach, or any of the other 81 incorporated municipalities in the county with a local government, e.g., a mayor, city council and local ordinances. The Los Angeles County website provides a directory and a map of its incorporated cities.
For further information on the LA County minimum wage schedule, please contact one of our attorneys Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.
Helena Kobrin, July 27, 2015
Click here for more data on the the LA County minimum wage schedule for 2016 to 2020.