Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Do You Know Minimum Pay in San Jose?

"LA is a great big freeway. Put a hundr"...oh, is this on?  Oops.

San Jose's voters approved a $10.00 minimum wage, indexed to inflation beginning in 2014. (The California state minimum wage is $8.00.)  San Jose joins San Francisco as the second city to pass its own city wide minimum wage.

The new, 6-page ordinance has a bunch of additional provisions in it.  Payroll records must be kept for four years.  There is a new poster required.  Every employer must provide new employees with the employer's name and address in writing.  The anti-retaliation provision says that any adverse action taken within 90 days of an employee's protected activity related to the minimum wage is presumed to be retaliation.  Oh, and there is a penalty of $50 per employee per pay period for non-compliance.  The ordinance allows for government enforcement, and also creates a private right of action for violations as well.

The new wage is effective 90 days from when its November election is certified.  Our friends at the Cal Chamber say that the new wage will take effect in March 2013 or so.

Here is the ordinance.

Thanks for the tip, Cal Chamber. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  If you know the owner of a small business in San Jose, you may wish to let him or her know about the new ordinance before he or she is litigated, fined, etc. out of business.

DGV