This article shall be known as the "Los Angeles Office of Wage Standards Ordinance." Wage theft occurs when employees are not paid the wages they are owed by their employers. Studies have concluded that employees in Los Angeles are disproportionately affected by the crime of wage theft in the State of California. The Office of Wage Standards within the Bureau of Contract Administration of the Department of Public Works enforces violations of wage theft and sick time benefits of the Los Angeles Minimum Wage Ordinance. The ordinance also establishes penalties and grants authority to the City of Los Angeles Police Commission to deny, revoke or suspend a police permit issued or requested by an employer found to have committed wage theft.
This ordinance authorizes the Office of Wage Standards to enforce the rights and benefits provided by the Fair Work Week Ordinance. By investigating complaints and holding employers accountable, the City will communicate to employers that wage theft and denial of a fair work week will not be tolerated in Los Angeles. Holding employers accountable further serves as a deterrent to future actions by employers who otherwise would violate California wage and labor provisions within the City's boundaries.
Moreover, imposing penalties and administrative fines for violations of the Los Angeles Minimum Wage Ordinance, the Fair Work Week Ordinance, and the requirements of this article will also serve as a deterrent to employers who choose not to follow the law. The importance of correctly paying wages due and providing sick time to an employee is one of the highest mandates for the welfare of employees working in the City. Similarly, the welfare of employees working in the City requires that retail employers provide advance notice of work schedules, the right to rest 10 hours between shifts, opportunities for additional hours, and predictability pay for late schedule changes.