2019 Minimum Wage Increases in CA Cities—Final Blog

Effective January 1, 2019, employers in Los Altos, San Jose, and Santa Clara must pay their employees a minimum wage of $15.00 per hour. The updated Minimum Wage and related notices are available for all three cities.

Because these are the last California cities with January 2019 minimum wage updates, our series of blogs on this topic has officially come to an end.

Details of the 2019 Minimum Wage Updates  

Los Altos Minimum Wage

The Los Altos Minimum Wage notice states that the January 1, 2019 minimum wage rate of $15.00 applies to employers who are subject to the Los Altos Business License Tax or who maintain a business facility in the city. The new minimum wage must be paid to employees who work at least 2 or more hours per week—tips not included.

Just like many other California cities, starting January 1, 2020, and each year thereafter, the Los Altos minimum wage will be adjusted based on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Regional Consumer Price Index.

The Know Your Rights notice, which outlines protections for employees related to employer discrimination, has also been updated to include the new $15.00 minimum wage. The notice states that covered employees are entitled to the minimum wage rights regardless of immigration status.

San Jose Minimum Wage

As of January 1, 2019, employers who are subject to the San Jose Business License Tax or who have a business facility in San Jose must pay employees who work at least 2 hours per week in the city the new $15.00 minimum wage.

Beginning January 1, 2020, San Jose’s minimum wage rate will be adjusted annually based on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Regional Consumer Price Index.

Employees who assert their rights to receive San Jose’s minimum wage are protected from retaliation. Those who believe they are not being paid the correct minimum wage may contact the San Jose Office of Equality Assurance by phone at 408-535-8430, or by email at the following address: SJMWO@sanjoseca.gov

Santa Clara Minimum Wage

In 2019, just like Los Altos and San Jose, employers who are subject to the Santa Clara Business License Tax or who maintain a business facility in Santa Clara must pay the $15.00 minimum wage rate to all employees working 2 or more hours per week in the city. On January 1, 2020, and every year thereafter, Santa Clara’s minimum wage will also be adjusted based on the Regional Consumer Price Index.

The City of Santa Clara poster includes the following notices, which all feature the updated minimum wage rate for 2019:

• Minimum Wage
• Know Your Rights
• Ordinance Basics and Responsibilities

In addition to the new minimum wage rate, the Minimum Wage and Know Your Rights notices now state that “The City of Santa Clara contracts with the City of San Jose’s Office of Equality Assurance for enforcement of its Minimum Wage Ordinance.”

The Office of Equality Assurance investigates possible minimum wage violations, has access to records relating to payroll, and is responsible for ordering employee reinstatement, payment of wages that were withheld unlawfully, and imposing penalties on employers.

The Minimum Wage, Know Your Rights, and Ordinance Basics and Responsibilities notices all include a website address (santaclaraca.gov/minimumwage) where employees and employers can find more information about the Santa Clara Minimum Wage Ordinance, as well as a phone number for the City Manager’s Office (408-615-2210). Those who wish to get additional information by email may do so at the following address: minimumwage@santaclaraca.gov

We’re Here to Keep You in Compliance

If you have not already done so, we encourage you to order our City/County Poster 1-Year Plan. Because the plan provides free poster updates for mandatory changes, no matter how many occur during the 12-month period, you can always count on Poster Compliance Center to keep your business in compliance!