Sec. 17-86. Implementation by the city.
   (a)   Effective April 1, 2022, there is established a department of labor standards, whose head shall be the director of labor standards. The director's appointment and removal shall be in accordance with sections 2, 6, and 11 of chapter V of the charter. The director may promulgate administrative directives for the implementation of this article.
   (b)   The purposes and functions of the department of labor standards shall include, but not be limited to: receiving complaints filed by aggrieved individuals and interested parties, initiating investigations of employers and hiring entities no later than forty- five (45) calendar days after receipt of such complaint from an aggrieved party or interested party, initiating enforcement actions, periodically conducting studies of low-wage workers in the city for the purpose of guiding the department's targeted enforcement efforts, educating employers of their obligations under this article, and educating employees of their rights under this article.
   (c)   There shall be appointed wage investigators under the city's civil service rules. It shall be the duty of the wage investigators to investigate suspected violations of this article, communicate with complainants, report and make recommendations of all suspected violations to the director, and initiate enforcement actions under the director's guidance.
   (d)   Not later than June 1, 2022, there shall be created an online method and a paper method for individuals to file complaints with the department.
   (e)   On or before November 1, 2022 and every subsequent November 1, the director shall announce the minimum wage that will take effect on the following January 1, shall publish the same on the city website, and shall make other reasonable efforts to inform employers of the same.
   (f)   An employee, former employee, worker for hire, former worker for hire, or any other individual may report to the department any suspected violation of this article. The department shall encourage reporting by keeping confidential, to the maximum extent permissible by state law, the identifying information of the employee or worker for hire. Notwithstanding this subsection, the department may disclose the identifying information of a complainant with the authorization of such individual, by court order, or in compliance with any applicable law.
   (g)   To aid in the enforcement of this article, the city may enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the county or other municipalities located within the county.
   (h)   Nothing herein precludes the city from imposing a fee on businesses, a subset of businesses, or from increasing existing license taxes, license fees, or other levies established in chapter 19 of this code for the purpose of funding the operations of the department.
(Ord. No. 11868, 8-10-21)