6 LIVING WAGE The Living Wage for contractors of the
LABOR LAWS & FINDING TALENT DC DOING BUSINESS GUIDE 2018/2019 71
District of Columbia government is now $14.20, effective
January 1, 2018. As authorized by the Living Wage Act of
2006, all recipients of government contracts or assistance
of $100,000 or more are required to pay their affiliated
employees no less than the living wage authorized by the
District. All subcontractors of $15,000 contracts or more
must also pay their affiliated employees the living wage.
Other wage-hour laws to take note of include the Wage
Payment and Wage Collection Law, the Wage Garnishment
Law, the Seats Law, and the Wage Hours Rules.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION PROGRAM
The Workers’ Compensation program is designed to ensure
that your employees who may become injured or disabled on
the job are provided with fixed monetary awards.
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
The Office of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) provides
onsite consultation services to private-sector employers in
the District of Columbia. OSH establishes and maintains
a safety and health management program that ensures,
to the maximum extent possible, a safe and healthy work
environment for employees.
FOREIGN WORKER (LABOR) CERTIFICATION
Find out if you can hire workers from abroad to help grow
your business. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
stipulates that certain foreign workers may obtain a visa to
enter the U.S. and engage in permanent employment.
CHILD LABOR LAWS
No minor under 18 can be employed for more than eight
hours in any one day, six consecutive days in any one week, or
48 hours in any one week.
LEAVE ACTS
The Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008 requires
employers in the District of Columbia to provide paid leave
to employees for their own or family members’ illnesses
or medical appointments and for absences associated with
domestic violence or sexual abuse. Employers in the District
of Columbia must provide paid leave to each employee,
including employees of restaurants and bars, temporary
and part-time employees, and tipped employees. Paid leave
accrues at the beginning of employment, and employees
must be allowed to use paid leave no later than after 90
days of service with the employer. Accrual of paid leave is
determined by the number of employees an employer has and
the number of hours employees work.
Visit does.dc.gov for comprehensive information on The
Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act.
The DC Family Medical Leave Act requires employers with
20 or more employees in the District of Columbia to provide
eligible employees with 16 weeks of unpaid family leave and
16 weeks of unpaid medical leave during a 24 month period.
Similarly, the DC Parental Leave Act allows employees who are
parents or guardians to take 24 hours of leave (paid or unpaid)
during a 12 month period to attend school-related activities.
DC Office of Human Rights · (202) 727-4559 · ohr.dc.gov
FEDERAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAWS
The federal government has strict laws that forbid
employment discrimination based on race, sex, color, religion,
national origin, age, pregnancy, or physical disability. The
Equal Pay Act, which applies to all businesses, requires that
women doing the same job as men be paid the same salary.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal
civil rights law that prohibits the exclusion of people with
disabilities from participating in everyday activities. As a
business owner in the District, you need to be especially
aware of ADA guidelines regardless of the number of
employees you have.
Additionally, take note of the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act. Age discrimination occurs when an
individual is treated unfavorably by an employer because of
one’s age. Sexual harassment laws are another concern for
growing businesses. Consider adopting written policies that
protect employees from being fired or not being promoted
because of failure to succumb to the sexual advances of their
superiors or sexual comments or references that can make
them feel uncomfortable in the workplace.
ADA · (800) 514-0301 · ada.gov
/does.dc.gov
/ohr.dc.gov
/ada.gov