San Francisco successfully assists over 17,000 workers through labor enforcement and worker restitution

01/05/2025

 [ Article originally appeared in www.sf.gov ]

The San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) announces assisting over 17,000 workers in Fiscal Year 2024, the highest number assisted since the office’s inception in 2001.? 

OLSE, a division within the Office of the City Administrator, is dedicated to protecting the rights and welfare of San Francisco’s workers. This year, the office resolved over 400 cases, recovering more than $16 million in restitution and fees. Through enforcing labor laws, addressing worker complaints, and conducting proactive outreach to both workers and employers, OLSE continues to ensure fairness and accountability across the city.? 

San Francisco has consistently set the standard for protecting workers’ rights. It was the first city in the nation to establish a local minimum wage, paid sick leave, paid parental leave, and healthcare access for employees. Today, more than 60 cities have adopted similar policies, like our paid sick leave policy, building on the trailblazing framework created in San Francisco.?? 

This year, OLSE partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor and the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement in its first interagency enforcement action. Through this tri-agency initiative, over $900,000 was successfully recovered, benefiting more than 38 workers. This collaboration highlights the importance of coordinated efforts to uphold workers’ rights and ensure accountability for labor law violations.?? 

“The work of the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement has a tangible and lasting impact on the lives of our city’s workers.? This year is no exception with the staff resolving a record number of cases and providing assistance to over 17,000 workers," said City Administrator Carmen Chu. "Under the leadership of Pat Mulligan, I continue to be impressed by and want to thank the OLSE team for the commitment and urgency they show in upholding workers’ rights and to ensuring workers receive the compensation they are owed."? 

Year after year, OLSE centers San Francisco workers by enforcing the trailblazing and comprehensive legislation passed through the Board of Supervisors and San Francisco voters.? 

In the last fiscal year alone, the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement has:?? 

• Rolled out the first San Francisco Labor and Employment Code which establishes labor standards within the city, encompassing various ordinances that set minimum wages, mandate paid sick leave, and ensure health care security, among other worker protections.? 
• Implemented the Transfer Tax Reduction for Union Labor-Built and Union Pension Fund-Financed Housing Ordinance which can reduce real property transfer tax rates in high-value residential rental properties if they meet specific criteria.? 
• Operationalized the Housing Production – Prevailing Wage requirements on Certain Housing codes law which mandates that workers involved in specific housing development projects on city-owned or leased properties receive wages equivalent to the prevailing rates for their respective trades.? 

"I am proud of the OLSE team for fostering a culture of compliance that protects workers and ensures fairness for employers. By implementing new efficiencies OLSE will continue to strengthen worker protections and address new challenges," said Patrick Mulligan, Director of the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement. 

Read more about the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement’s annual report here. 

SOURCE: https://www.sf.gov/news/san-francisco-successfully-assists-over-17000-workers-through-labor-enforcement-and-worker