2016

Cities across the state have recently been enacting ordinances increasing the minimum wages and the amount of paid sick leave available to employees above the state-wide minimums. Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego, and San Francisco all recently enacted minimum wage and paid sick leave laws, some of which go into effect July 1. All of the laws provide for a higher minimum wage and many provide substantially more paid leave than is required by California’s Paid Sick Leave law. Employers with workers in any of these cities may need to update their practices regarding accrual of sick leave and/or written policies to ensure they are complying with the laws.

MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES

The last few years have seen a wave of new laws being passed to increase the minimum wage for workers across the state. In 2015 and 2016 alone, several local and statewide laws were passed which will dramatically increase the minimum wage of the next five years. The wage increases go into effect on January 1 or July 1 each year, and employers will need to closely evaluate whether they have workers who are entitled to the state minimum wage or a higher wage rate, based on a local ordinance.

The chart below summarizes the minimum wage increases for California, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego, and San Francisco over the next several years:

PAID SICK LEAVE LAWS

Like the minimum wage laws, the last few years have seen numerous paid sick leave laws being enacted across the state, resulting in a patchwork of laws overlaying a statewide minimum that, until only a few months ago (the law didn’t go into effect until July 1, 2015), was considered a generous paid sick leave policy by national standards. Many of these city ordinances grant employees paid sick leave that is much more generous than what is required by California state law.

The chart below summarizes the paid sick leave laws for California, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego and San Francisco:

Compliance with these laws, especially for those employers with employees in more than one of the cities, can be tricky. While there are many similarities between the laws and California’s Paid Sick Leave law, there are many differences and nuances. Where there are differences, employers are generally required provide the most generous benefit to employees in order to stay in compliance with both the state and local law. Employers will need to closely monitor the developments in the laws as they are implemented, revised, and clarified, in order to ensure they are in compliance with them.   For more information contact:

For more information contact:

Gary E. Scalabrini, Esq. 

Gibbs Giden Locher Turner Senet & Wittbrodt LLP 
1880 Century Park East 12th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90067
email: gscalabrini@gibbsgiden.com

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