Oakland minimum wage and paid sick leave for ALL employers law starts March 2, 2015

It’s not a matter of whether this is a good or bad law.

Many small and not so small employers are scrambling to figure out how to pay for a 36% in wages and the payroll taxes and workers compensation insurance tied to wages. Few of them even know about the sick leave provision.

The city has to adapt also. According to a former Measure Y anti-violence program (now Z) Oversight Commission member “The contractors for those programs told us that they would have to cut their staffs or the number of people they served by about 25% in order to comply with the law. The new Measure Z does not give them any more money.”

Quote from the City Attorney ballot measure summary:
“This measure would establish a minimum wage in the City of Oakland of $12.25 per hour, beginning on March 2, 2015. The minimum wage rate would increase yearly on January 1st based on increases in the cost of living.

This measure would require that employers in Oakland provide paid sick leave to their employees beginning on March 2, 2015. Employees would accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours they work. Employers may cap paid sick leave earned by an employee at 40 hours for employees of small businesses and 72 hours for employees of other employers. Small businesses are defined as employers who normally have fewer than ten workers. An employer may set a higher cap for paid sick leave or no cap at all. Employees may use paid sick leave for the employee’s own illness or injury, or to care for certain family members who are ill or injured. Employees with no spouse or domestic partner may designate one person for whom the employee may use paid sick leave to provide care.”

Full text of new law: “http://web.archive.org/web/20140821220408/http://www.acgov.org/rov/elect...

Oakland minimum wage/sick leave posters:

http://bit.ly/1KqMDPy

City site: http://bit.ly/1FhuXmz

Len Raphael, CPA
Temescal