California SB-525, signed October 2023, establishes tiered minimum wages for covered healthcare workers ranging from $18 to $25 per hour. Santa Clara County hospitals and clinics follow state schedules; the county adds no additional local healthcare wage floor.
Senate Bill 525, codified at Labor Code §§1182.14–1182.15, creates four tiers of minimum wages for healthcare workers based on facility type: large health systems and dialysis clinics reach $25 per hour by 2026; hospitals operating in rural or high-Medicaid markets phase up to $25 by 2033; community clinics target $25 by 2027; and other licensed facilities scale from $21 toward $25. Covered workers include clinical and non-clinical staff such as housekeeping, dietary, and security at licensed healthcare facilities. The California Department of Industrial Relations enforces statewide, with violations recoverable through Berman wage claims. Santa Clara County imposes no separate healthcare wage floor; county hospitals and Valley Medical Center comply with state schedules.
Healthcare facilities paying below SB-525 schedules face Labor Commissioner wage claims, civil penalties under Labor Code §1197.1, retaliation protections, and potential class action liability for systemic underpayment of covered workers.
See how Palo Alto's healthcare worker wage rules stack up against other locations.
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