San Francisco Mandates Transit Benefits

Employers with 20 or more employees in San Francisco will be required to offer commuter benefits to their workers under an ordinance passed Tuesday, August 12, by the city’s Board of Supervisors.

The ordinance gives employers three options.

They can:

• Set up a program under IRS Code 132(f) into which employees can make pretax contributions to pay for mass transit. The maximum monthly contribution set by the IRS for 2008 is $115 for a transit pass.

• Pay for employees’ transportation expenses, through such steps as buying transit passes.

• Set up a van-pooling program for employees.

The mayor has 10 days to decide whether to sign or veto the measure.

If the mayor approves it, as is expected, it will take effect 120 days later.

Filed by Joanne Wojcik of Business Insurance, a sister publication of Workforce Management. To comment, e-maileditors@workforce.com.

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