Los Angeles County Municipal Code Ch. 2.203 Contractor Employee Jury Service

The board of supervisors makes the following findings. The county of Los Angeles allows its permanent, full-time employees unlimited jury service at their regular pay. Unfortunately, many businesses do not offer or are reducing or even eliminating compensation to employees who serve on juries. This creates a potential financial hardship for employees who do not receive their pay when called to jury service, and those employees often seek to be excused from having to serve. Although changes in the court rules make it more difficult to excuse a potential juror on grounds of financial hardship, potential jurors continue to be excused on this basis, especially from longer trials. This reduces the number of potential jurors and increases the burden on those employers, such as the county of Los Angeles, who pay their permanent, full-time employees while on juror duty. For these reasons, the county of Los Angeles has determined that it is appropriate to require that the businesses with which the county contracts possess reasonable jury service policies.

(Ord. 2002-0015 § 1 (part), 2002)

The following definitions shall be applicable to this chapter:

A.

"Contractor" means a person, partnership, corporation or other entity which has a contract with the county or a subcontract with a county contractor and has received or will receive an aggregate sum of $50,000 or more in any 12-month period under one or more such contracts or subcontracts.

B.

"Employee" means any California resident who is a full-time employee of a contractor under the laws of California.

C.

"Contract" means any agreement to provide goods to, or perform services for or on behalf of, the county but does not include:

A contract where the board finds that special circumstances exist that justify a waiver of the requirements of this chapter; or

A contract where federal or state law or a condition of a federal or state program mandates the use of a particular contractor; or

A purchase made through a state or federal contract; or

A monopoly purchase that is exclusive and proprietary to a specific manufacturer, distributor, or reseller, and must match and inter-member with existing supplies, equipment or systems maintained by the county pursuant to the Los Angeles County Purchasing Policy and Procedures Manual, Section P-3700 or a successor provision; or

A revolving fund (petty cash) purchase pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fiscal Manual, Section 4.4.0 or a successor provision; or

A purchase card purchase pursuant to the Los Angeles County Purchasing Policy and Procedures Manual, Section P-2810 or a successor provision; or

A non-agreement purchase with a value of less than $5,000 pursuant to the Los Angeles County Purchasing Policy and Procedures Manual, Section A-0300 or a successor provision; or

A bona fide emergency purchase pursuant to the Los Angeles County Purchasing Policy and Procedures Manual, Section PP-1100 or a successor provision.

D.

"Full time" means 40 hours or more worked per week, or a lesser number of hours if:

The lesser number is a recognized industry standard as determined by the chief administrative officer, or

The contractor has a long-standing practice that defines the lesser number of hours as full time.

E.

"County" means the county of Los Angeles or any public entities for which the board of supervisors is the governing body.

(Ord. 2002-0040 § 1, 2002: Ord. 2002-0015 § 1 (part), 2002)

This chapter shall apply to contractors who enter into contracts that commence after July 11, 2002. This chapter shall also apply to contractors with existing contracts which are extended into option years that commence after July 11, 2002. Contracts that commence after May 28, 2002, but before July 11, 2002, shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter only if the solicitations for such contracts stated that the chapter would be applicable.

(Ord. 2002-0040 § 2, 2002: Ord. 2002-0015 § 1 (part), 2002)

A contractor shall have and adhere to a written policy that provides that its employees shall receive from the contractor, on an annual basis, no less than five days of regular pay for actual jury service. The policy may provide that employees deposit any fees received for such jury service with the contractor or that the contractor deduct from the employees' regular pay the fees received for jury service.

(Ord. 2002-0015 § 1 (part), 2002)

A.

Administration. The chief administrative officer shall be responsible for the administration of this chapter. The chief administrative officer may, with the advice of county counsel, issue interpretations of the provisions of this chapter and shall issue written instructions on the implementation and ongoing administration of this chapter. Such instructions may provide for the delegation of functions to other county departments.

B.

Compliance Certification. At the time of seeking a contract, a contractor shall certify to the county that it has and adheres to a policy consistent with this chapter or will have and adhere to such a policy prior to award of the contract.

(Ord. 2002-0015 § 1 (part), 2002)

For a contractor's violation of any provision of this chapter, the county department head responsible for administering the contract may do one or more of the following:

Recommend to the board of supervisors the termination of the contract; and/or,

Pursuant to chapter 2.202, seek the debarment of the contractor.

(Ord. 2002-0015 § 1 (part), 2002)

A.

Other Laws. This chapter shall not be interpreted or applied to any contractor or to any employee in a manner inconsistent with the laws of the United States or California.

B.

Collective Bargaining Agreements. This chapter shall be superseded by a collective bargaining agreement that expressly so provides.

C.

Small Business. This chapter shall not be applied to any contractor that meets all of the following:

Has ten or fewer employees during the contract period; and,

Has annual gross revenues in the preceding twelve months which, if added to the annual amount of the contract awarded, are less than $500,000; and,

Is not an affiliate or subsidiary of a business dominant in its field of operation.

"Dominant in its field of operation" means having more than ten employees and annual gross revenues in the preceding twelve months which, if added to the annual amount of the contract awarded, exceed $500,000.

"Affiliate or subsidiary of a business dominant in its field of operation" means a business which is at least 20 percent owned by a business dominant in its field of operation, or by partners, officers, directors, majority stockholders, or their equivalent, of a business dominant in that field of operation.

(Ord. 2002-0015 § 1 (part), 2002)

If any provision of this chapter is found invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

(Ord. 2002-0015 § 1 (part), 2002)