Announcements
Office of Wage Standards
The Office of Wage Standards (OWS) is the designated agency tasked with administering and enforcing the City's minimum wage and labor standards, which includes paid sick leave, fair hiring practices for private Employers, and a stable and predictable work week for retail employees in the City. The OWS is also the administrative agency for other employment protections such as hotel workers and freelance workers. The OWS ensures that Employers in the City comply with the appropriate minimum wage rates and labor standards specified by our Ordinances through community outreach and investigation of potential violations.
Walk-in consultations are by apointment only.
To schedule an appointment, email wagesla@lacity.org or call 1-844-WAGESLA.
Hotline monitored M-F 7am-4:30pm. Voicemails returned within the same or 1 business day.
Las consultas en persona son solamente con cita previa.
Para más información por favor llame a 1-844-WAGESLA or envie un correo electrónico a wagesla@lacity.org.
Línea directa supervisada de lunes a viernes de 7am a 4:30pm - los mensajes de voz se devuelven el mismo día o al siguiente día laboral.
Need assistance in another language? Please call 3-1-1.
Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO)
Minimum Wage Ordinance for Employers
Employer means any person, as defined in the California Labor Code including a corporate officer or executive, who directly or indirectly or through an agent or any other person, including through the services of a temporary services or staffing agency or similar entity, employs or exercises control over the wages, hours or working conditions of any Employee.
Employer Requirements
- Employer must pay hourly minimum wage and provide paid sick leave for hours worked within the geographic boundaries of the City.
- Employer must post the Office of Wage Standards Wage and Sick Time Notice in a conspicuous place at any workplace or job site in English and any other language(s) spoken by at least five percent (5%) of the Employees at the workplace or job site.
- Employer must keep payroll records for four (4) years.
- Employer must provide employees with the Employer's name, address, and telephone number in writing at the time of hire.
- Retaliation against any Employee exercising rights under the Minimum Wage and Office of Wage Standards Ordinances is prohibited.
Employer Forms
Minimum Wage Ordinance for Employees
Employee means any individual who in any particular week performs at least two (2) hours of work within the geographic boundaries of the City of Los Angeles for any Employer and is entitled to earn the California minimum wage. This Employee is covered by the Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO) regardless of immigration status or employment status whether the Employee is full-time, part-time, temporary, etc.
Employee Remedies include, but are not limited to, the following:
An aggrieved Employee may file a civil court action.
- Payment of wages unlawfully withheld;
- Payment of Sick Time Benefits unlawfully withheld; and/or
- An additional penalty of up to $120 to the Employee and up to $50 to the City for each day that either violation occurred or continued.
- In cases of retaliation, the Employee may be entitled to reinstatement and trebled the above.
Complaint Forms
Minimum Wage Ordinance Provisions
This is a summary of certain provisions of the MWO. For complete requirements of the MWO, please refer to LAMC Sections 187 and 188.
Wage Schedule Chart
Starting July 1, 2016, the minimum wage in the City of Los Angeles will increased annually according to the schedule in LAMC Section 187.02.B and 187.02.C. After 2021, the new Minimum Wage Rate will be updated annually and it will be based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which is published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The adjusted rate will be announced on February 1st of each year and become effective on July 1st of each year. On February 1st, the new rate will be updated here on our website.
Effective Date | All Employers |
7/1/2021 | $15.00 |
7/1/2022 | $16.04 |
7/1/2023 | $16.78 |
7/1/2024 | $17.28 |
7/1/2025 | $17.87 |
Paid Sick Leave Chart
Starting July 1, 2016, all Employers, except for Employers with 25 or fewer Employees, will be required to provide paid sick leave according to the Los Angeles Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO). The paid sick leave will be provided to all Employees who work at least two hours in a particular week in the City of Los Angeles for the same Employer for 30 days or more within a year. Employers with 25 or fewer Employees begin providing sick leave benefits on July 1, 2017.
Please Note: Senate Bill 616 (effective January 1, 2024), does not preempt the City's Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO), which contains more stringent paid sick leave requirements. The Office of Wage Standards (OWS) will continue enforcing the City's paid sick leave requirements accordingly.
Entitlement
Front-Loading | At least 48 hours provided either at the beginning of each year of employment, calendar year, or 12-month period; OR - |
Accrual | One (1) hour of paid sick leave for every thirty (30) hours worked. |
72-Hour Cap | Unused paid sick time accrued by an Employee, whether by front-loading method or by accrual method, shall carry over to the following year of employment and may be capped at a minimum of 72 hours. An Employer may set a higher cap or no cap at all |
Separation from employment | An Employer is not required to provide compensation to an Employee for accrued or unused sick days at separation from employment. |
Reinstatement | If an Employee is re-hired within one (1) year of separation from employment, previously accrued and unused paid sick leave shall be reinstated. |
Usage
When | An Employee may use paid sick leave beginning on the 90th day of employment or July 1, 2016, whichever is later. |
How | An Employer shall provide paid sick leave upon the oral or written request of an Employee for themselves or a family member, or for any individual related by blood or affinity. Qualified use of time can be found in LAMC Section 187.04(G). |
The use of paid sick leave may be limited to 48 hours leave annually. |
Administrative Fines for Violations
Each and every day that a violation exists constitutes a separate and distinct violation subject to the fines and penalties outlined in LAMC Section 188.08. Any administrative fine assessed within a three (3)-year period in any Notice of Correction and determined to be a subsequent violation of the same provision by the same Employer may be increased cumulatively by fifty (50) percent from the maximum administrative fine allowed.
Minimum Wage Ordinance Required Posting
2025 Los Angeles Minimum Wage & Paid Sick Leave Poster
2024 Los Angeles Minimum Wage & Paid Sick Leave Poster
Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance (FWPO)
The Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance (FWPO) provides protections to freelance workers to help ensure they are treated fairly and compensated in a timely manner. The Ordinance is effective as of July 1, 2023.