California Employment News: Overview of the Fast Food Minimum Wage Increase AB122
Leveraging Data and Technology to Achieve Scalable Food Service
From More Delivery, Takeout and Outdoor Dining Options to Financial Relief – How Restaurants Have Managed Throughout the Pandemic
Members of California’s Fast Food Council were not deterred by a chorus of franchise owners who gathered at a Jan. 23 meeting to object to plans for another minimum wage increase in the fast-food industry. Here’s the latest...more
In the spirit of the season, we are using our annual "12 Days of California Labor and Employment" blog series to address new California laws and their impact on employers. On the tenth day of the holidays, my labor and...more
On September 18, 2024, at the request of the State of Michigan and its attorney general, the Michigan Supreme Court clarified issues relating to future minimum wage rates and minimum cash wage rates for tip-credit employees...more
Almost half of the states, and several major localities, will increase their minimum wage rates in 2024, with a majority of the changes effective on January 1, 2024. The table below lists state and certain major locality...more
Executive Summary: Beginning January 1, 2024, restaurant employers in California will be required to pay their workers for all costs associated with obtaining a food handler card, including treating the time spent obtaining...more
Last year, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the FAST Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (AB 257), which sought to increase the California minimum wage to $22 per hour, with annual increases thereafter, and...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: California has increased the minimum wage of fast food workers to $20, and authorized the creation of the Fast Food Council comprised of representatives from labor and management to set minimum standards...more
Tips from Seyfarth is a blog series for employers, and their in-house lawyers and HR, payroll, and compensation professionals, in the food, beverage, and hospitality sector. We curate wage and hour compliance “tips” to keep...more
Effective January 1, 2024, the general statewide minimum wage will increase by .50 cents, bringing the hourly rate from $15.50 to $16.00. Please also keep in mind that many (around 35-40) cities and counties in...more
California has long required food handlers in restaurants to obtain certification — and until now, training and testing has been the employee’s responsibility. A new law Governor Newsom approved on October 8, however, shifts...more
In 2022, Washington D.C. voters passed Initiative 82, or the “District of Columbia Tip Credit Elimination Act,” which later became law in February 2023. As we previously reported, the law will gradually phase out the “tip...more
On September 11, 2023, industry, government, and union representatives announced that they had reached a deal to remove a California referendum on the Fast Food Accountability and Standards (“FAST”) Recovery Act from the 2024...more
For years, California has led the way in the fast food industry, with several prominent brands having their origins in the Golden State. More recently, California has shown innovation in the ways that the employment of fast...more
Executive Summary: On July 6, 2023, a federal district court upheld the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) regulations on the type and amount of work that tipped employees may perform while being paid the reduced minimum wage...more
New York City was on track to becoming the first major U.S. city to implement a minimum pay-rate for app-based restaurant delivery workers. However, the new law, which was scheduled to go into effect July 12, 2023, has been...more
In the restaurant/service industry, gratuities (To Ensure Prompt Service or “tips”) motivate individuals to seek employment. Everywhere you turn, even if you did not receive any real service, workers are seeking tips....more
On January 24, 2023, the California Secretary of State completed its verification process and qualified a referendum challenging Assembly Bill (AB) 257, also known as the FAST Recovery Act for the November 2024 ballot. In the...more
As we previewed previously, a number of hot-button legislative proposals made it to Governor Newsom’s desk this year – many of which would change the landscape for California employers. For the first time since the COVID-19...more
California lawmakers just passed the first bill in the nation that aims to enact specific workplace rules and standards for fast-food employees – a move that could have devastating consequences for the industry. The Fast Food...more
Florida voters on November 3, 2020, passed Amendment 2, which will, over a period of years, increase Florida’s minimum wage to $15.00 per hour. The first annual increase was effective September 30, 2021, and increased the...more
Florida’s minimum wage will increase effective January 1, 2021 as follows: - Florida’s minimum wage will increase by nine cents from $8.56 to $8.65 per hour. - Florida’s minimum wage for tipped employees will increase...more
Governor Gavin Newsom recently approved a significant supplemental paid sick leave law which became effective September 19, 2020. The law, codified as Labor Code Section 248.1, requires certain larger employers to provide...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 9, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1867, which requires private employers with 500 or more employees nationwide to provide COVID-19-related supplemental paid sick leave to their...more
On September 9, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 1867 (AB 1867), which requires private entities with 500 or more employees to provide up to 80 hours of COVID-19-related supplemental paid...more