Living Wage

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Anyone entering into a contract with the City will be required to comply with the City of West Hollywood Living Wage Ordinance. The 2023-2024 Living Wage Rate is expires on June 30, 2024. The new 2024-2025 Living Wage Rate will begin on July 1, 2024. On July 1, 2024, the established living wage rate in West Hollywood will increase from $20.12 per hour to $20.86 per hour. Frequently asked questions are addressed below.

Public Notice of the 2023/2024 Living Wage Rate

Public Notice of the 2024/2025 Living Wage Rate

History of the Living Wage

Ordinance No. 97-505, adopted in 1997, initiated a living wage in the City of West Hollywood. In enacting this ordinance, the City promoted an economic environment that protected public resources devoted to social support services and required service contractors to pay employees performing City-related work the living wage and benefits designated in it.

In 2011, the City Council amended the Living Wage Ordinance (West Hollywood Municipal Code Chapter 3.20) to provide that the City Council will adjust the living wage rate each July 1. The amendment established that the living wage rate shall reflect increases during the preceding year in the Consumer Price Index (a measure of inflation) for all urban consumers in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area, as published in January each year by the United States Department of Labor Statistics.

In 2022, the City Council updated the Living Wage Ordinance to increase the hourly rate, include a requirement to provide compensated and uncompensated leave, clarify to whom the Living Wage Ordinance applies, and update provisions for consistency with the Citywide Minimum Wage Ordinance.

Living Wage Guidelines

Living wage must be paid by the City’s service contractors with contracts of $25,000 or more for terms of 3 months or longer. The living wage applies to employees, temporary employees, and subcontractors. The living wage rate is adjusted each July 1 to reflect changes during the preceding year in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). The annual percentage adjustment to the Living Wage is based on and equal to the percentage change of the City's minimum wage.

Compensated and Uncompensated Leave

Employees for all vendors subject to the Living Wage Ordinance are to be provided at least 96 compensated hours and 80 uncompensated hours per year for sick leave, vacation, or personal necessity. Part-time employees are to be provided compensated and uncompensated hours in increments proportional to that accrued by someone who works 40 hours in a week.

Waiver Application

The City Manager may issue a waiver of the requirements of this chapter to any vendor bidding on a Service Contract if the City Manager determines that such waiver is necessary to allow the vendor to compete fairly in the bidding process.

To file a waiver application, please contact the City Manager’s Department by phone at 323-848-6460 or by email at citymanager@weho.org for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

In effort to assist Employers, Employees, and the general public, the City has compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding the ordinance. This is a general guide and resource and does not constitute legal advice.

General Information

What is a living wage?

A living wage is typically described as the minimum income necessary for a worker to be able to meet basic needs for an extended period. These needs include shelter, nutrition, healthcare, and other incidentals such as clothing. This standard generally means that a person working forty hours a week, with no additional income, should be able to afford a specified quantity of housing, food, utilities, transport, health care, and recreation.

Who does the living wage ordinance apply to?

The living wage ordinance applies to any employee, temporary employee, or subcontractor of a vendor awarded a service contract valued over $25,000 with a term of more than 3 months. In addition, the living wage ordinance applies to recipients of a Covered Grant (grants over $150,000 that are not pass-throughs or otherwise exempted). The Living Wage typically applies to services provided to the City and its constituents via regular service contracts and professional service contracts with regular businesses and via social services contracts with nonprofit agencies.

Who is exempt from paying the living wage to employees?

Vendors who are:

Government agencies, including federal agencies, state agencies, cities, counties, school districts, and all other public entities,
Supported Employment Employers: nonprofits that provides Supported Employment Jobs for individuals with most significant disabilities in an integrated employment setting, and that have been certified by the City as a Supported Employment Employer.
Transitional Employers (time-limited exemption): nonprofits that provide Transitional Jobs for the long-term unemployed, and that have been certified by the City as a Transitional Employer. Transitional employers may pay each Employee in a Transitional Job an hourly wage that is below the living wage set forth under this chapter during the first eighteen (18) months of the Employee’s work in the Transitional Job.
Covered under the prevailing wage requirements of the California Labor Code for the service being provided to the City.
Vendors that have been issued a waiver pursuant to Section 3.20.080.b. of the Ordinance,
Vendors that are awarded a grant by the City that does not meet the definition of a Covered Grant.

What about employees paid different rates for different projects?

For Employees who work on a Service Contract or Covered Grant that are paid different rates for different projects or services by their Employer, the Employer may pay the living wage rate for only the hours that the Employee works in support of the City of West Hollywood’s contract.

Who can I call with questions?

Employers, Employees, Temporary Employees, Sub-Contractors, and others may call (323) 848-6400 and request the City Clerk's Office.

Additional Resources

Ordinance No. 22-1179

Staff Report (4/4/2022)