October 10, 2012
Maragos: Compliance with Living Wage Law at All Time High
2011 audit results show most employees are being paid correctly
Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos released the 2011 Living Wage Annual Report today which shows 101 employees were underpaid in total by only $8,734. In past years the Comptroller’s Office found hundreds of thousands of dollars owed to employees who contract with the County.
"Our report shows continued compliance with the Living Wage Law which protects hard working residents who provide crucial services throughout the County,” Comptroller Maragos said. “The Comptroller’s office will continue to ensure compliance with the Law which recently increased the hourly rate without benefits to $14.91 per hour on August 1st.”
In 2011 the Comptroller’s Office completed eight audits of service providers who must comply with the Living Wage Law.Minor violations were identified in the reports concerning failures to pay the exact hourly wage rates required by the Law or non-compliance with the Law’s requirement to grant workers paid days off or payment in lieu of paid days off. The amounts the affected employees were shortchanged decreased to an all-time low.
The Nassau County Living Wage Law was enacted by the Nassau County Legislature in 2006 to raise the minimum wage of County employees and those working for most of its contractors. The Comptroller’s Office is responsible for monitoring compliance with the Law, and the Law requires that the Comptroller report annually to the County Executive and the County Legislature summarizing and assessing the implementation of and compliance with the Law during the preceding year. The Living Wage is currently $14.91 an hour without health benefits or $13.11 with health benefits. This rate will stay in effect until August 1, 2013, when it will increase based upon the CPI Index.
For more information on the Nassau County Living Wage Law visit our website at http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Comptroller/LivingWage/index.html
