Minimum Wage Increase Effective July 1, 2018

The Executive Order 2016-02, Minimum Wage for Employees of the Commonwealth and of Organizations Receiving State Contracts, was signed by Governor Tom Wolf on March 7, 2016. The Executive Order raised the hourly minimum wage paid to employees of Commonwealth agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction, and by contractors to workers performing work on or in connection with covered State contracts, to $10.15 per hour beginning July 1, 2016 — also beginning January 1, 2017, and annually thereafter, an amount determined in accordance with the methodology set forth in the Executive Order. Effective July 1, 2017, the hourly minimum wage paid to employees of Commonwealth agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction, and by contractors to workers performing work on or in connection with covered State contracts, increased to $10.20 per hour. The applicable adjusted amount shall be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin by March 1 of each year to be effective the following July 1.

Please refer to the PA Bulletin notice issued February 24, 2018, by the Office of Administration for details. Therefore, effective July 1, 2018, all OVR Work Based Learning Experience (WBLE) stipends, and OJTs paid by or to Community Rehabilitation Program vendors of OVR (i.e., state contractors) must be increased to $10.35 per hour. As this pertains to existing Innovation & Expansion (I&E) contracts and grants, and many I&E agreements expire 9/30/18, amendments will need to be made to them to cover the increase in the student stipend. Changes to these will be addressed first with Office of Chief Counsel, and then with the individual vendor.