July 20, 2009

Weitzman: ‘The Nassau County Living Wage increases August 1 to $13.10 per hour.’

The Nassau County Living Wage rate will increase on August 1 from $12.05 to $13.10 per hour, Comptroller Howard Weitzman announced today.  The $13.10 hourly wage does not include health or child care benefits. Employers who provide benefits are only required to pay $11.50 per hour. The Living Wage Law applies to all county employees and businesses contracting with the County (contracts over $25,000). Enacted in January 2006, the law is aimed at ensuring that employees earn a decent hourly wage, receive health benefits or child care benefits or benefits supplement, and are paid days off.  Since 2007, when the wage rates went into effect, the hourly wage increased each August 1.

"The County’s Living Wage Law is meant to provide employees of companies that contract with the County the ability earn a decent wage,” Weitzman said. “Nassau County can stand proud that this law has a positive affect on people’s lives.”

"In these very trying economic times, it’s even more important that hard working people are paid a living wage,” stated Lisa Tyson, Director of the Long Island Progressive Coalition.  “We worked for years to pass this important legislation that impacts the lives of thousands of hard working Long Islanders. We must now continue to focus our efforts on compliance and making sure that the law is being enforced.”

The Comptroller’s office monitors the Nassau County Living Wage Law through its Living Wage Unit and is currently in the process of auditing the approximately 10 home agencies that contract with the county.

The Comptroller’s Office will be distributing posters in English and Spanish to all home health care agencies, other agencies and service providers to remind them about the August 1 wage increase.

The Nassau County Living Wage

is

$13.10 per hour

or

$11.50 with health benefits

(Rate Effective August 1, 2009 through July 31, 2010)

Employees who work 20 hours or more per week are entitled to receive a maximum of

12 paid days off per year, including paid holidays

If you work for a County contractor or lessee, the Living Wage Law may apply to you.  If you have any questions about your eligibility, or if you believe your employer is not complying with the Law, please contact:

Office of the Nassau County Comptroller

Living Wage Unit at (516)571-3668

You may also visit our website at www.nassaucountyny.gov/comptroller

and click on Living Wage for more information or to obtain a complaint form

*Complaints will remain confidential*

Exceptions:

The Law DOES NOT apply to the following:

• Contracts for child-care services, pre-school services and early intervention services
• Contracts where services are incidental to the delivery of products, equipment or commodities
• Inter-governmental contracts and financial assistance contracts for industrial development bonds, community development block grant loans and enterprise-zone incentives
• Contracts for less than $25,000
• Employees under 18 years of age who are claimed as dependents for federal tax purposes and who are        working as an after-school or summer employee
• Trainees in a bona fide training program
• Disabled employees covered by a current sub-minimum wage certificate issued to the employer by the  United States Department of Labor or if he/she would be covered by such a certificate but for the fact that the employer is paying a wage equal to or higher than the minimum wage.