Another California city, Alameda, adopted a new minimum wage ordinance (MWO) that takes effect in July. Last October, when then-governor Jerry Brown signed a number of bills into new laws, the Alameda City Council passed their own MWO, which will raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by July 1, 2020.
Beginning July 1, 2019, all Alameda employers, regardless of size of business or organization, will have to pay their employees no less than $13.50 per hour. A second increase will occur on July 1, 2020, where all Alameda employers will have to pay their employees no less than $15 per hour. Furthermore, starting on July 1, 2022, and every July 1 thereafter, all employers in Alameda will be subject to an annual Consumer Price Index adjustment, up to a maximum of 5 percent per year.
The Alameda MWO will apply to all employers, including nonprofit organizations, that are subject to Alameda’s business license requirements, and will cover all employees working two hours or more within the geographic boundaries of Alameda, regardless of where employees live.
Similar to other local MWOs, employers will have to post required employee notices, including a workplace poster that must be displayed in a conspicuous place at any workplace or jobsite. Additionally, employers will have to keep payroll records for four years.
Employers who violate the Alameda MWO may be subject to administrative citations, penalties and other fees. Employers with employees working in Alameda should take steps to prepare for the new MWO, including obtaining required posters. CalChamber offers a variety of California city and county labor law posters in the CalChamber store – Alameda’s poster is coming soon!
For more information on the MWO, see the FAQs on Alameda’s city website.
Stay tuned for more details about this ordinance, which will be available for CalChamber members on our Local Ordinances section of HR California. Not a member? See how CalChamber can help you.
