The Los Angeles City Council has approved amendments that would slow the implementation schedule for the City’s Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance and related airport worker wage provisions. The move revises the framework adopted in 2025, which had been set to increase covered hotel and airport worker wages to $30 per hour by 2028. The Council approved the delay on May 26, 2026, as proponents of a business-tax repeal ballot measure withdrew that initiative. The amendments to the ordinance take effect June 29, 2026.

The amendment revises the phased minimum wage as follows:

The amendments also revise health benefit obligations. For hotel employers, the ordinance provides for a health benefit payment of $4.25 per hour beginning July 1, 2026, increasing to $6.00 per hour beginning July 1, 2027. Beginning July 1, 2028, the hotel worker health benefit obligation would be tied to the health benefit payment applicable to airport workers.

Employers that do not provide the required health benefits must pay the equivalent amount as additional hourly wages.

For hotel employers, the practical effect is significant but more gradual than the prior schedule. Industry reporting describes the Council’s action as delaying the $30-per-hour threshold from 2028 to 2030, while still requiring a $25-per-hour minimum wage in July 2026 and incremental increases thereafter.

If you have questions about these amendments or related issues, contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.