Living Wage Ordinance
Government Entities Exempt From LWO 
LWO Requirements
– Contract Requirements for LWO applicability
- Contract for Services with expenditures of $25,000 or more in a 12-month time period
- Contract term of at least 3 months
– Benefits to Covered Employee
- Wage Rates
- $10.50 per hour with $2.00 per hour Health Benefits OR
- $12.50 per hour without Health Benefits
- Paid Leave
- Minimum 12 compensated days off per year (includes paid holidays)
– Covered Employee
- Minimum 4 hours per week on County funded contract
- Does not include
- Student age 21
- Anyone earning academic credits regardless of age
- Volunteer
LWO Exemptions
– Excluded Services
- Contract subject to Federal or State Laws (e.g., Prevailing Wage Construction contracts)
- Contracts between County and Governmental entity
- Contracts between County and Financial/Banking institution
- Contract for professional services requiring specialized skill or licensure (e.g., Consultant, Lawyer, Doctor, Experts, etc.)
- Contract between County and Non-Profit Corporation (IRS Code Section 501(c)(3))
– Contractor Exemptions
- Small Employer: Employs less than 5 full-time persons for each working day in 20 or more days per year
- Collective Bargaining: Entity operating under a Collective Bargaining Agreement
- In-Home Support Service Workers (IHSS)
- Board and Care Services
- Printing/Copying Services
LWO Contract Sanctions
- Withholding of payments
- Contract Suspension or Termination
- Contractor required to pay employees underpaid amounts
- Barred from County business for up to three (3) years
- Any combination of the above
Annual LWO Rate Review
- Ordinance uses 2001 as base year
- Requires annual review and adjustment in proportion to increase in Consumer Price Index-W (Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers not seasonally adjusted for the U.S. city average)
- Increase must equate to at least 50 cents
- Increase automatic; Board of Supervisors review and approval required if County Executive Office reports that it will unduly burden the County Budget
- Rates effective following fiscal year on July 1
- First 50 cent increase to LWO effective July 1, 2006 based on cumulative impact of CPI-W increases
- Notification of LWO effective rates
- Awarding Authorities
- Contractors subject to LWO
LWO Compliance Forms
Downloadable Vendor Compliance and Employee Complaint forms.
Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader
LW-1 Determination Form
LW-2 Awarding Authority Request for Non-Coverage or Exemption
LW-3 Bidder/Contractor Application for Non-Coverage or Exemption
LW-4 Pro-rated Time off for Part-time Employees
LW-5a Declaration of Agreement to Comply
LW-5b Subcontractor Declaration of Agreement to Comply
LW-6 Employee Information Form
LW-7 Employee Complaint Form (English)
LW-7sp Employee Complaint Form (Spanish)
LW-8 Living Wage Notice (English)
LW-8sp Living Wage Notice (Spanish)
LW-9 Subcontractor Information
LW-10 Application for Small Employer Exemption
LW-10a Employee Worksheet for Small Employer Exemption
LW-11 Notice to Employee (paycheck insert)
POSTER: Living Wage Ordinance Rates
POSTER: Prohibition against Retaliation (English)
POSTER: Prohibition against Retaliation (Spanish)
Contact Information
Telephone: (805) 654-3835
FAX: (805) 654-5106
Address: 800 South Victoria Ave., Ventura, CA 93009-1940
E-mail: alejandra.tellez@ventura.org