The San Mateo County Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement (OLSE) aims to advance fair labor practices. OLSE is a collaborative partnership between the County Executive’s Office, the County Attorney’s Office, and the District Attorney’s Office, integrating the strengths across offices to implement the following primary functions:
-
Support the development of labor policies that protect workers and support businesses across San Mateo County.
-
Provide outreach and education to workers and employers within San Mateo County about their rights and obligations in the workplace, including minimum wage requirements.
-
Enforce labor standards that protect San Mateo County workers through coordinated investigations and efforts to secure compliance.
Education and Compliance Support
Outreach and Education
OLSE conducts regular outreach to both workers and employers, partnering with trusted community-based organizations and city partners, to ensure awareness of minimum wage requirements and workplace labor standards. To support compliance, OLSE offers informational materials and resources to both workers and employers.
Confidential Labor Advice Line
OLSE partners with the Step Forward Foundation to provide a free and confidential hotline to workers and businesses seeking information on workplace labor standards. The Advice Line connects callers with licensed attorneys with multilingual abilities and expertise in employment law.
Complaint Investigation and Enforcement
OLSE investigates potential violations of the County of San Mateo’s Minimum Wage Ordinance and of the minimum wage ordinances in the following cities, which contract with OLSE for enforcement.
- Belmont
- Burlingame
- Foster City
- Half Moon Bay
- Menlo Park
- Redwood City
- San Mateo
In some cases, OLSE may also investigate violations of other laws that protect San Mateo County workers. When violations are identified, OLSE will work to achieve a just resolution for affected workers and bring the employer into compliance.