Employer Spending Delayed to 2008 Under San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance
San Francisco's Office of Labor Standards Enforcement recently finalized its regulations relating to implementation of the City's Health Care Security Ordinance ("HCSO"). As previously discussed, the HCSO requires covered employers to make health care expenditures for their covered employees. In 2008, covered employees include any person who has been employed for at least 90 days and who performs at least 10 hours of work per week within the geographic boundaries of the City and County of San Francisco; effective 1/1/09, the hourly requirement is reduced from 10 to 8 hours per week. Affected employers may purchase health insurance coverage for their covered employees, make payments to the City for the benefit of their covered employees, or make the required health care expenditure in a variety of other manners.
Significantly, employers should note that recent amendments to the HCSO changed the operative date of the employer spending requirement (previously set for July 2007) to January 1, 2008 for employers with 50 or more employees, and to April 1, 2008 for employers with 20 – 49 employees.
For specific questions regarding employer obligations relating to the implementation of the HCSO, please contact us directly.