Los Angeles

In July, the City of Los Angeles put the minimum wage increase for hotel workers on hold.  Certain provisions were to take effect on July 1, 2025. The decision to pause the ordinance came after a referendum petition against the ordinance was filed with the City Clerk’s office on June 27, 2025. On September 8, 2025, the… Continue Reading

By: Reminder: Get Ready for Los Angeles County’s Fair Work Week Ordinance Effective Date: July 1, 2025

As we previously blogged, effective July 1, 2025, Los Angeles County’s new Fair Work Week Ordinance requires qualifying retailers and grocers (300+ employees nationwide in unincorporated LA County) to give workers predictable schedules, advance notice, rest between shifts, and “predictability pay” for certain schedule changes. It also mandates recordkeeping, posting notices, and limits on hiring new staff before offering existing employees extra hours.

Here’s a quick refresher on the key requirements:

1. Good Faith Estimate of Work Schedule

• Provide every new hire—and any current employee within 10 calendar days of request—a written, non binding estimate of expected hours, days, locations, and potential shifts.
• If actual schedules deviate substantially (≥20% of hours, different days, location, or shifts outside the estimate in six of 12 weeks), document a legitimate business reason that is unknown at the time of estimate to substantiate the deviation.

2. Advance Notice of Schedules

• Publish each two week schedule at least 14 calendar days before it begins.
• Any employer initiated change after that notice must be made in writing.
• Employees may decline added hours or shifts not in the original schedule; if they accept a late change, the acceptance must be in writing.

3. Right to Request Hours, Times & Locations

• Solicit each covered employee’s preferred work hours, times, or locations.
• Respond in writing to every request, granting or denying with an explanation.

4. Access to Additional Hours Before Hiring

• Post open shifts 72 hours before hiring; qualified current employees have 48 hours to accept.
• Only if no qualified employees volunteer may you hire outside.
• Offers under this rule do not trigger predictability pay if those additional hours result in a schedule change.

5. Premium (“Predictability”) Pay for Schedule Changes (Subject to Exemptions)

• No loss / +≤15 min gain: 1 hour’s pay at the regular rate.
• Loss > 15 min: 0.5 hour’s pay at the regular rate for lost time.

6. Rest Time Between Shifts

• Provide at least 10 hours between shifts—or, with written employee consent, pay time and a half for each hour in the gap.

7. Mandatory Notice Posting

• Display the County’s official Fair Work Week notice in a visible area (break room, bulletin board) or distribute electronically.

8. Recordkeeping

• Retain all schedules, estimates, requests, notices, and related records for three years.

9. Manager Training

• Train managers to finalize and post schedules on time and obtain written consents.

Next Steps

1. Conduct an Immediate Audit of your scheduling, posting, and record retention processes.
2. Roll Out Updated Policies and provide targeted training for managers, HR, and payroll teams.

By proactively implementing these measures, your organization will mitigate risk and avoid costly penalties.

By: Olympic Wages Approved by Los Angeles City Council 

As a present to organized labor, the Los Angeles City Council voted to approve a draft of the “Olympic Wage Ordinance” that, when finalized, will have a profound impact on the City’s hotel industry–an industry experiencing an unexpected spike in demand resulting from the tragic realities of persons recently displaced by the wildfires.  

The ordinance is designed to incrementally increase minimum wages for certain hotel (and other) workers by $2.50 per year until a $30/hour wage is achieved by July 2028, when the Olympics are set to begin:

• $22.50/hour eff. July 1, 2025
• $25.00/hour eff. July 1, 2026
• $27.50/hour eff. July 1, 2027
• $30.00/hour eff. July 1, 2028

In addition to wage increases, the ordinance also will increase healthcare benefit payment entitlements.

The ordinance will cover employees at Los Angeles hotels with 60 or more rooms, as well as other workers in the tourism industry, concessions, airport workers, and various others. It will also include a right-to-cure provision that requires employees to give employers advance written notice of violations of the ordinance and 30 days to cure the alleged violation before filing an administrative charge or court complaint.

Presumably, the City Council’s plan was to finalize the draft into formal law in early 2025 before the planned July 2025 wage increase. It is unclear if the impact of the wildfires will change those plans or change the ordinance in any way. Los Angeles employers in the hotel and tourism industries should keep an eye on the Olympic Wage Ordinance and the City Council’s related actions over the next few months to make sure they are prepared and compliant when the inevitable changes do come. Of course, you may contact the author of this blog or any CDF attorney for up-to-date information and guidance.