Effective January 1, 2018, the State minimum wage increases to $11.00 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees, and $10.50 per hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees.

Several California cities and counties have passed their own minimum wage ordinances with a more aggressive schedule of minimum wage increases. Local minimum wage increases that go into effect on January 1, 2018 include the following:

Additionally, as of October 1, 2017, the minimum wage in Berkeley increased to $15.00 per hour. The minimum wage also increased in July 2017 for the following cities and counties: Emeryville, the City and County of Los Angeles, Malibu, Pasadena, San Francisco, San Leandro, and Santa Monica.

Employers with employees working in any of these cities – even if only on a temporary basis – should review their minimum wage and implement any necessary changes for compliance purposes, such as recordkeeping and notice requirements. If you have any questions, please contact your Hanson Bridgett attorney.

For a summary of other new employment laws taking effect on January 1, 2018, see our prior alert from October 31, 2017.