Palo Alto 2016 Minimum Wage Rate

Palo Alto established a new citywide minimum wage for 2016. The rate will be evaluated annually for adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index.

Another California City established a citywide minimum wage. This time, it’s lovely Palo Alto, home to HP, Mashable, Xerox, and Tesla Motors corporate headquarters.

The Palo Alto City Council approved the Minimum Wage Ordinance, which applies to all employees who work two hours per week within Palo Alto. The new minimum wage rate of $11 per hour takes effect January 1, 2016. But hang on to your hats: the rate could change annually based on the cost of living, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Each December 1, the City of Palo Alto will release a new bulletin with the minimum wage rate for the upcoming year. Although the minimum wage rate might remain the same from one year to the next, the notice will be revised with the subsequent year and any other necessary verbiage updates, so plan to replace the Palo Alto minimum wage notice each year.

…or make it easy on yourself and join North America’s largest employers in receiving automatic labor law posting coverage from GovDocs. Your Palo Alto locations would be automatically covered each year as part of the GovDocs Update Program.

Palo Alto Tipped Minimum Wage Workers

An employer may not use an employee’s tips or fringe benefits as a credit towards the employer’s obligation to pay the City minimum wage.

Palo Alto Minimum Wage Posting and Notice Requirements

Employers must display the Palo Alto Minimum Wage notice in a conspicuous place “at any workplace or job site where any employee works”. The posting must be displayed in all languages spoken by more than five percent of the workforce. Employers are responsible for translating this notice into languages spoken by five percent or more of their employees.