It’s that time of the year again! Employers covered by San Francisco’s Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO) and/or Fair Chance Ordinance (FCO) must submit their 2024 Annual Reporting Form to the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) by May 2, 2025. Available on the OLSE website, this form provides an overview of how employers complied with these ordinances during the 2024 calendar year.
San Francisco’s HCSO Reporting Requirements
Under the HCSO, covered employers must invest in their employees’ health care either by purchasing health insurance for their covered employees or by making payments to the city on behalf of covered employees that secure eligibility in a qualifying program.
Employers covered under the HCSO:
- Employ one or more workers within the geographic boundaries of the city and county of San Francisco;
- Are required to obtain a valid San Francisco business registration certificate; and
- Are a for-profit business with 20 or more people performing work, or a nonprofit organization with 50 or more people performing work.
Each year covered employers must report information to San Francisco regarding the number of individuals employed each quarter of the prior calendar year; the number of employees eligible for the HCSO in each quarter; the employer’s total healthcare expenditure; and the variety of healthcare coverage options extended to employees.
San Francisco’s FCO Reporting Requirements
San Francisco’s FCO imposes specific restrictions on how employers can obtain and use criminal background information, including a prohibition on the commonly used checkbox asking about criminal history on job applications.
Employers covered under the FCO:
- Are located or doing business in San Francisco; and
- Have five or more employees, regardless of whether those employees are all located in San Francisco.
Covered employers must annually disclose various information, including:
- The total number of employees hired to work within San Francisco for the prior calendar year;
- Whether background checks were performed on job applicants; and
- If individuals with conviction histories were hired.
Employers covered by either of these two San Francisco ordinances must complete and submit the Annual Reporting Form by May 2, 2025. Failure to submit it by the deadline may subject employers to a penalty of $500 per quarter.
San Francisco’s 2024 Form, annual reporting instructions and additional guidance can be found on the Annual Reporting Form website.
Vanessa M. Greene, J.D., Employment Law Subject Matter Expert, CalChamber
CalChamber members can read more about the San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance on HRCalifornia. Not a member? Learn how to power your business with a CalChamber membership.
