San Diego’s Minimum Wage Increases Jan. 1

San Diego’s minimum wage is set to increase to $11.50 per hour on Sunday, January 1, 2017. The increase comes after voters approved the City of San Diego’s Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Ordinance on June 7, 2016. The ordinance became effective in July 11, 2016 when the city’s minimum wage increased from $10 to $10.50 per hour. 
The ballot measure was authored by then San Diego Councilman Todd Gloria. The City Council passed the wage increase in 2014, but the business community forced the issue to the ballot. The June primary election was the first vote since then, as proposition I. Measure I was approved by nearly 64 percent of voters. 
“When the minimum wage increases to $11.50 in the City of San Diego, it will be a little easier for families to get by and pay for food and rent. People are forced to find survival strategies like sharing apartments, having multiple jobs or going without food or clothing. No one should live like that,” Center on Policy Initiatives Research Director Peter Brownell said. “It’s extremely important that people know their employers can’t legally pay less than $11.50 after January 1 and that they have access to five sick days a year.” 
Also, Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), approved by the California State Legislature in March 2016, was designed to increase the state’s minimum wage to $10.50 in 2017, $11 in 2018, and by a dollar a year after that until it reaches $15 per hour in 2022, making the minimum wage increase provisions of Proposition I largely irrelevant after 2019 since they would be superseded by the higher minimum wage dictated by SB 3. 
If an employer seems confused about the law, information is available from the new labor standards agency in San Diego Treasurer’s Office. 
If an employer is found to have violated the law, employees can receive double the back wages owed to them and other penalties. 
The first step is to file a complaint with the City Treasurer’s office. If the employer fails to pay the legally required wage and the employee has questions about the complaint process, they can contact the nonprofit Employee Rights Center by calling (619) 521-1372 or visit 4265 Fairmount Avenue, Suite 200, San Diego, 92105. 
Also, all workers in San Diego have the right to earn up to five days paid sick time per year. Employers must provide all workers with one hour paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. For full-time workers, this means they can get at least 40 hours of leave per year; which employees can take this time off, with full pay, for medical appointments, illness, injury, or care of a family member.