District of Columbia Increases Minimum Wage to $15.20, and Tipped Minimum Wage to $5.05, Effective July 1, 2021

As we previously reported, starting in 2016 the District of Columbia by statute gradually increased its minimum wage to $15.00 per hour, and its tipped minimum to $5.00, effective July 1, 2020. However, included in the statute were provisions for subsequent increases of both these rates based on the annual average increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban consumers in the Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. See D.C. Code §32-1003(a)(6) and (f)(2).  The D.C. Department of Employment Services (DOES) recently announced that pursuant to these provisions, effective July 1, 2021 the minimum wage for all employees will increase to $15.20 per hour, and the tipped minimum to $5.05. The same rate applied to the Living Wage Act covering various government contractors.

D.C. employers should make sure that their payroll systems are adjusted to reflect these new rates. They should also post the updated DOES poster available here.