HSN input was essential in the living wage and living health debates, which mandated minimum compensation levels and health benefits for employees working on City contracts. HSN successfully urged the Board of Supervisors to create a Task Force to undertake a comprehensive study of the living wage proposal. Several HSN leaders served on the Living Wage Task Force. Their insistence that the City reimburse nonprofits for living wage costs led to the inclusion of this important pass-through in the final Minimum Compensation Ordinance (MCO). HSN also provided legislative comment as the City developed implementing regulations, and works to educate our members about compliance issues.

San Francisco's nonprofit living wage rate has now been surpassed by the minimum wage. If you are paying the San Francisco minimum wage, you are in compliance with the wage requirements of the MCO.

In 2001, the Board of Supervisors introduced a living health initiative. HSN's review of the draft legislation uncovered several provisions that were especially onerous to nonprofits. HSN put together written recommendations, met with Board members, and had a visible presence in Board hearings. As a result, the final Health Care Accountability Ordinance (HCAO) incorporated several HSN-sponsored modifications, and Mayor Brown promised to reimburse nonprofits for compliance costs. HSN also participated in the Health Commission's process to develop minimum standards for the mandatory insurance coverage, and provided input into the City's implementing regulations.

While fully supportive of the HCAO's goals, HSN remains critical of several problematic provisions. In 2004, HSN participated in a series of stakeholder meetings that led to a new set of minimum standards that provide more flexibility and affordability to employers, while ensuring that employees continue to receive a comprehensive health insurance plan with no premium or deductible. The group (including nonprofits, labor, health care activists and City staff) also reached consensus on a series of proposed HCAO amendments that address all of HSN's major problems with the Ordinance. These proposals will come before the Board of Supervisors soon.

A change to nonprofits' MCO rate is also likely to occur soon. Nonprofit contractors are currently required to pay employees at least $9.00 per hour. The City's FY 05-06 budget includes about $1 million in funding to support a nonprofit minimum of $10.50 per hour in January 2006. The proposal requires Board of Supervisors approval in order to take effect.

• S.F.Wage and Benefit Laws: An Overview for Nonprofits with City Contracts, October 31, 2017

  • Agenda and Resources
  • PowerPoint presentations
  • Best practices panel notes
    
• S.F. Wage and Benefit Laws: An Overview for Nonprofits with City Contracts, September 20, 2016
  -- Workshop Co-hosted by HSN and the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement
  -- Resource Sheet
  -- PowerPoint presentations
  
• Living Wage Task Force report to the S.F. Board of Supervisors, December 12, 1999
  
• Information on San Francisco wage and health mandates: Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) website.
  The MCO and HCAO apply to City contractors. The site also has information about the City's Minimum Wage Ordinance, Health Care Security Ordinance, and paid sick leave law, which applies to all employers.
  
• To sign up for email updates from OLSE:
  http://sfgsa.org/index.aspx?page=5465 (MCO, HCAO)
  www.sfgov.org/olse/hcso (HCSO)
  
• Compliance with both the HCAO and the HCSO: Presentation by the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement on how to comply with both ordinances, January 2009.
  Please note that some of the rates in this presentation are out of date. Consult the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement website for current figures.
  
• San Francisco Sick Leave Ordinance summary
  This Ordinance, passed by the voters in November 2006, requires employers to provide paid sick leave.