Santa Fe County mandates a living wage of $14.60/hour for county contractors.
Santa Fe County Ordinance No. 2004-03 establishes a living wage specifically for employees working on service contracts with Santa Fe County. This rate significantly exceeds the state minimum wage and applies only to those directly engaged in county contract work, not all private employers within the county.
Santa Fe County Living Wage
Specific wage requirements for employees of Santa Fe County contractors.
What these rules do as a New Mexico shift is created.
Teambridge automatically identifies shifts within Santa Fe County and, if the employer is a county contractor, applies the correct living wage rate. This ensures compliance without manual intervention, even with differing rates for tipped employees.
Mandatory Wage Floor
For any employee performing work under a Santa Fe County service contract, Teambridge enforces a minimum hourly rate of $14.60. No pay rate can be set below this threshold for covered shifts.
Tipped Wage Adjustment
If the employee is classified as a tipped worker under a county contract, Teambridge applies the specific tipped minimum wage of $4.38 per hour, effective March 1, 2025, ensuring proper calculation for these roles.
Scope Identification
Teambridge requires clear tagging of employees and/or shifts associated with Santa Fe County service contracts to precisely apply this ordinance, preventing accidental application to non-contracted private work.
Automate New Mexico compliance.
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Santa Fe County Living Wage Ordinance for Contractors
Santa Fe County Ordinance No. 2004-03, as amended, establishes a living wage requirement for employees performing work under service contracts with Santa Fe County. This ordinance is distinct from general minimum wage laws and specifically targets the county's contractual relationships.
Santa Fe County Ordinance No. 2004-03, as amended
"An ordinance establishing a living wage for employees performing work on Santa Fe County service contracts, to promote economic stability and fair compensation for those contributing to county services."
Covered Employees and Wage Rates
The Santa Fe County living wage ordinance applies exclusively to employees working on service contracts with Santa Fe County. As of March 1, 2025, the living wage rate for these covered employees is $14.60 per hour. For tipped employees working under such contracts, the minimum cash wage is $4.38 per hour, provided that the employee receives at least $14.60 per hour when tips are added.
It is critical to note that this ordinance does not apply to all private employers within Santa Fe County. Private employers not contracting with the county are generally subject to the state minimum wage, which is $12.00 per hour (NMSA § 50-4-22), or the City of Santa Fe's higher minimum wage if applicable, but not this specific county contractor living wage.
Compliance and Enforcement
Contractors with Santa Fe County are required to post notices informing employees of their rights under the living wage ordinance. The county may monitor compliance through audits and investigations, and non-compliance can result in penalties, including contract termination and back pay awards. Employers must maintain accurate records of hours worked and wages paid for all employees performing work under county service contracts.
How Teambridge keeps your Santa Fe County operations compliant.
Teambridge integrates the specific requirements of the Santa Fe County Living Wage Ordinance directly into your payroll and scheduling workflows. Our system ensures that employees engaged in county contract work are always paid correctly, isolating this specific requirement from broader state or local minimum wage rules.
Automatic identification of covered shifts.
Teambridge allows you to tag specific projects or employees as being under a Santa Fe County service contract. When shifts are created for these tagged entities, the system automatically recognizes that the Santa Fe County Living Wage Ordinance applies, distinguishing it from other New Mexico wage rules.
Ensuring the correct living wage is met.
For all hours worked under a designated Santa Fe County contract, Teambridge automatically enforces the $14.60 per hour living wage floor. If an employee is set below this rate for a covered shift, the system flags the discrepancy or auto-corrects to the compliant rate.
Accurate calculation for tipped employees.
For tipped employees performing work on Santa Fe County contracts, Teambridge applies the specific $4.38 per hour tipped minimum wage, ensuring that their total compensation (cash wage plus tips) meets or exceeds the $14.60 living wage threshold.
Simplified compliance reporting.
All wage calculations and applications of the Santa Fe County Living Wage are meticulously logged within Teambridge. This provides a clear, auditable trail, simplifying reporting and demonstrating compliance with county requirements.