Employers Must Be Aware of Local Wage and Hour Ordinances
Employers must comply with federal and state wage and hour laws. These regulations are designed to ensure workers are paid fairly. Notably, a growing number of cities and counties in California have now enacted their own local wage and hour ordinances. It is imperative that businesses comply with these regulations as well. Here, our California employment law attorney highlights the key things that employers in California should know about local wage and hour laws.
Know the Data: Municipalities with Local Wage and Hour Regulations in California
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the federal law that establishes many of the key wage and hour regulations. However, our state has even more worker-friendly wage and hour laws than set by federal statute. For example, the California state minimum wage is far higher than the federally mandated minimum wage.
Beyond that, some municipalities in California have begun to enact wage and hour laws that are even more stringent on employers than state law. According to the most recent data from the University of California Berkeley Labor Center, there are 59 municipalities nationwide (as of January 3, 2024) that have enacted minimum wage ordinances above what is required by the law in their state. Many of these local ordinances are in California. Here is a list of California municipalities that, at least for some employers, currently have a minimum wage higher— than the state-mandated minimum wage:
- Alameda;
- Belmont;
- Berkeley;
- Burlingame;
- Cupertino;
- Daly City;
- East Palo Alto;
- El Cerrito;
- Emeryville;
- Foster City;
- Fremont;
- Half Moon Bay;
- Hayward;
- Los Altos;
- Los Angeles;
- Los Angeles County;
- Malibu;
- Menlo Park;
- Milpitas;
- Mountain View;
- Novato;
- Oakland;
- Palo Alto;
- Pasadena;
- Petaluma;
- Redwood City;
- Richmond;
- San Carlos;
- San Diego;
- San Francisco;
- San Jose;
- San Leandro;
- San Mateo;
- San Mateo County;
- Santa Clara;
- Santa Monica;
- Santa Rosa;
- Sonoma;
- South San Francisco;
- Sunnyvale; and
- West Hollywood.
Be Proactive: A Lawyer Can Help Employers Ensure Compliance
For employers in a municipality with a local wage and hour ordinance—especially a minimum wage that is higher than the state-mandated minimum wage—a proactive approach is a must. The right legal advocate can ensure that your company has the right systems in place. A California wage and hour attorney who has experience representing employers can advise you on the requirements of the law and the structure that you need to put in place to ensure compliance. You do not want your business to run into problems from state or local labor enforcement officials.
Call Our California Employment Law Attorney for a Confidential Case Review
At the Law Office of Karen J. Sloat, APC, our California employment lawyer is focused on helping businesses and organizations put the right systems in place. If you have any questions or concerns about local wage and hour ordinances, please do not hesitate to contact us today for a confidential case review. We work with employers in Riverside County and throughout California.
Source:
laborcenter.berkeley.edu/inventory-of-us-city-and-county-minimum-wage-ordinances/
