Labor Compliance Program Manual - San Francisco Public Schools

Awarding Body LCP State of California Requirements as of January 21, 2009
Procedures Manual
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Q. If owners or partners work on a project do they have to be paid prevailing wages?
A. Yes, anyone who works on a project must be paid the prevailing wage rate for all hours
worked. This does not include office staff and supervisor who are not hands on employees.
Q. What should I do if an employee performs more than one type of work each day?
A. You must keep accurate records of how many hours the employee works in each
classification. The employee must be paid the prevailing wage rate for each craft,
classification, and type of work performed. If accurate records are not kept, the highest
wage rate may be required.
Q. What if an employee is just learning a trade or is just a helper on the project. Can I
pay him/her a lesser wage?
A. No. All employees must be paid the prevailing wage rate for the type of work they perform.
Only apprentices who are enrolled in a state-approved program are allowed to be paid less
than journeyman rates (which are higher). Applicable wage rates for apprentices apply.
Q. What happens if I don’t understand the prevailing wage rates?
A. If you are unsure of the rates you should pay, you should contact the LCP administrator for
clarification or you can call the Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor
Statistics & Research at (415) 703-4774.
Q. What is the methodology for determining the prevailing wage rates?
A. The prevailing wage rate is the basic hourly rate paid on public works projects to a majority
of workers engaged in a particular craft, classification or type of work within the locality
and the nearest labor market area (if a majority of such workers are paid at a single rate). If
there is no single rate paid to a majority, then the single or modal rate being paid to the
greater number of workers is prevailing.
Q. How does the prevailing wage affect me?
A. California’s prevailing wage laws ensure that the ability to get a public workers contract is
not based on paying lower wage rates that a competitor. All bidders are required to use the
same wage rates when bidding on a public works project. California law requires that not
less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages be paid to all workers employed on a
public works project.
Q. What is a general prevailing wage determination?
A. When the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations determine that the
general prevailing rate of per diem wages for a particular craft, classification or type of
worker is uniform throughout an area, the Director issues a determination enumerated
county by county, but covering the entire area. General determinations are issued twice a
year on February 22 and August 22.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
SFUSD - 41 - Chapter 15