2019 Minimum Wage Updates in California Cities—Part 4!

We are pleased to report that two more cities in California have released updated Minimum Wage notices with new wage rates for 2019: Oakland and Palo Alto.

Keep reading to get the scoop on employers’ responsibilities and employees’ rights.

2019 Minimum Wage Increases

What’s Up in Oakland?

Every January 1, Oakland’s minimum wage will be adjusted based on the prior calendar year’s increase, if any, in the Bay Area Consumer Price Index.

Beginning January 1, 2019, employers in the City of Oakland must pay a minimum wage of $13.80 per hour to employees who perform at least 2 hours of work in a workweek within the geographic limits of the city. This requirement applies to both part-time and full-time employees.

Employees who assert their rights to receive the minimum wage are protected from retaliation by their employers and may file a civil lawsuit for any violation of the city’s Minimum Wage Ordinance.

In addition to the 2019 minimum wage rate, Oakland’s Minimum Wage notice now includes an updated email address for employees who need more information about the minimum wage or believe they have not been paid correctly: minwageinfo@oaklandca.gov.

What’s Up in Palo Alto?

In 2016, Palo Alto’s City Council passed an ordinance calling for stepped minimum wage increases to $15.00 over a 3-year period. The ordinance applies to all employees working 2 hours per week within the city.

Effective January 1, 2019, the city’s minimum wage will increase to $15.00 per hour. Starting January 1, 2020, the minimum wage rate will be adjusted each year based on the Bay Area Consumer Price Index.

Just like the Minimum Wage Ordinance in Oakland and many other California cities, Palo Alto’s ordinance provides retaliation protections for employees who assert their rights to receive the city’s minimum wage.

Palo Alto’s Know Your Rights notice has also been updated to include the new $15.00 minimum wage rate. The rest of the notice, which has not changed, includes important details about employees’ rights related to the minimum wage, and states that covered employees are entitled to these rights regardless of immigration status. Plus, the notice provides helpful info for employees on how to file a wage complaint with Palo Alto’s Office of Equality Assurance.

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 you in compliance!