On April 4th, 2016 Governor Brown signed a bill to increase California minimum every year until 2022. This increase in minimum wage was due to the rising cost of living in California’s densely populated coastal areas. The cost of living in Los Angeles is 50 percent more than the national average, and the cost of living in San Francisco is 62 percent above the national average. With rising costs of living, the state legislation responded by drafting a bill to require businesses to pay low-skilled, workers a fair, livable wage.
Minimum wage is currently $10 an hour. Below is a list of the increases for employers with more than 25 employees.
- January 1, 2017 - $10.50/HR
- January 1, 2018 - $11/HR
- January 1, 2019 - $12/HR
- January 1, 2020 - $13/HR
- January 1, 2021 - $14/HR
- January 1, 2022 - $15/HR
This bill takes into account the needs of small businesses. If your business has fewer than 25 employees, you may delay each step by a year. This applies for all private employers, but state minimum wage guidelines can be more complicated for public companies. Based on legal precedence, K-12 school districts must comply with the state minimum wage. Other cities have increased their minimum wages to adjust for the cost of living. San Francisco’s minimum wage was raised to $13, San Jose increased to $10.30.
If your employer is not paying you the state minimum wage, it is in your best interests to retain the representation of a skilled Hollister employment law lawyer. Contact our offices today to speak with an attorney from Polaris Law Group.
