Boston Jobs, Living Wage, and Prevailing Wage Ordinance
Ensuring living wages for City contract employees.
Since 1997, the Boston Jobs, Living Wage, and Prevailing Wage Ordinance has served to create and keep livable wages in Boston. The ordinance ensures that eligible employees of vendors who contract with the City on service contracts, subcontracts, or building service contracts earn an hourly wage that is enough for a family of four to live at or above the federal poverty level.
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FILE A LIVING WAGE COMPLAINT
If you think your employer has unlawfully failed to pay you Boston’s living wage, please file a living wage complaint. A division representative will review your case and get back to you shortly.
About the Ordinance
About The Living Wage (Now $18.20) And Service contracts
All workers employed on City of Boston service contracts and subcontracts worth at least $25,000 must be paid the living wage. This wage amount is adjusted each July. As of July 1, 2024, the living wage is $18.20. This means employers are required to pay their employees a living wage of at least $18.20 per hour.
ABOUT Building Service Contracts
All janitorial staff and security guards employed on City of Boston building service contracts or subcontracts must be paid standard compensation using the prevailing wage rate schedule, regardless of the size of the contract. The Department of Labor Standards (DLS) issues a specific prevailing wage rate schedule for all prevailing wage projects. This amount must be updated on the anniversary of the contract execution. The Contracting department will issue a wage schedule at the time of bid for each building service contract. Covered Building Service Employees may request a copy of the wage rate schedule from their employer.
Get Help
The Office of Labor Compliance and Worker Protections upholds this ordinance by:
- Notifying covered vendors of their obligations under the ordinance
- Educating workers on their rights under the ordinance
- Collecting quarterly reports for compliance
- Conducting site visits to covered vendors
- Investigating complaints of LWO violations
When the Office of Labor Compliance and Worker Protections receives a living wage complaint and confirms its merit, the division will conduct a site visit to the employer in question to inspect its payrolls. If the employer violates the law, the Office may recommend sanctions and/or order back payment of wages. A covered employer who fails to comply with the ordinance may be fined up to $300 a day per covered employee. The full follow-up procedures, as well as other compliance information, are detailed in the ordinance regulations.
Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Ordinance Posters
FY2025 PostersFrequently Asked Questions
FAQ'sBoth contractors and sub-contractors must comply with the city’s living wage laws on city service contracts worth $25,000 or more and for building service contracts regardless of size. If you suspect that your labor is contributing to a city contract, file a wage complaint and we can research the city’s contracts to give you an answer.
No. When you file a wage complaint, we will not ask for photo identification, citizenship documents, or any information regarding your immigration status. We will not report your status to any other government agency. Our only concern is that employers are held accountable for fairly compensating all workers.
We will NOT notify your employer of your complaint without your express permission. The Boston Jobs, Living Wage, and Prevailing Wage Ordinance stipulates that “statements written or oral, made by an employee, shall be treated as confidential and shall not be disclosed to the covered vendor, covered building service vendor, covered lessor, or covered lessee without the consent of the employee.” However, in order to further pursue your claim and seek restitution, you will need to authorize that notification.
Any form of retaliation – termination, wage reduction, demotion, or discrimination – is explicitly prohibited by the Boston Jobs, Living Wage, and Prevailing Wage Ordinance. If you believe your employer has retaliated against you for asserting your rights, file a living wage complaint and indicate the circumstances of the retaliation in the appropriate field. If our investigation reveals evidence of retaliation, the vendor will be in violation of the ordinance and we may suspend the contract or order the service contractor to suspend the subcontract.
Yes. If you have reason to believe that an employer contracted with the City of Boston, even if it is not your own, is unlawfully paying its employees less than the living wage, we want to hear about it.
- Complete the quarterly reports (Form 9)
- Complete and adhere to the First Source Hiring Agreement (Form 10)
- Maintain and report payroll records and site visits
- Other obligations as required by the Ordinance
Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Employer Forms
Ordinance Trainings for Employers
Vendor Training
This training is for vendors with contracts covered by Boston Jobs, Living Wage, and Prevailing Wage Ordinance and need to complete the quarterly reports. Email monique.mitchell@boston.gov to register.
Training Dates:
- July 10, 2024 at 10am
- October 9, 2024 at 10am
- January 8, 2025 at 10am
- April 9, 2025 at 10am
- July 9, 2025 at 10am
City of Boston Staff Training
This training will be for City of Boston staff to review the ordinance and the different forms to complete during the procurement process for beneficiary/grant awards, service contracts, and building services covered by the ordinance. Email monique.mitchell@boston.gov to register.
Training Dates:
- September 25, 2024 at 10am
- March 26, 2025 at 10am
LIVING WAGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Living Wage Advisory Committee (LWAC) is charged with reviewing the effectiveness of the Boston Jobs, Living Wage and Prevailing Wage Ordinance, its implementation and enforcement. The committee meets on a regular basis and its meetings are open to the public.
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FILE A LIVING WAGE COMPLAINT
If you think your employer has unlawfully failed to pay you Boston’s living wage, please file a living wage complaint. A division representative will review your case and get back to you shortly.
