Frequently Asked Questions

How many jobs will JOBS NOW! SF create?

The City of San Francisco has a goal of placing 2,000 unemployed San Franciscans in jobs by September 30, 2010. However, there is no cap on the number of jobs that can be created through the program.  To date, more than 700 San Francisco residents and 180 employers are participating in JOBS NOW! SF.

How do I apply to be a JOBS NOW! SF employer? Is it complicated?

No. Employers must complete an application that asks for some general information about your business and about the positions you hope to hire through this program. Application responses are generally two pages long. Approved employers will also sign and complete a brief Wage Subsidy Agreement with SF‐HSA.

How long does it take to become an approved JOBS NOW! SF employer?

It generally takes between 7 and 10 days from the day that you mail in your application to an approval letter.

Can I apply to be a JOBS NOW SF! employer online?

Yes To apply online please click here.

Do I get to choose the JOBS NOW! SF participant or does the City send me a candidate that I must employ?

Employers choose their JOBS NOW! SF employees.  City staff match employer needs with eligible job seekers, and send appropriate candidates to the employer for interview and selection. Employers may select some, all or none of the candidates sent by SF‐HSA.

Is there a database of JOBS NOW! SF eligible job seekers that employers can search?

There is not currently a database available for employers to search. If you have a position you would like to fill, please contact us at 1-877-JOB!NOW and we will help match you with excellent candidate.

If we have a job candidate that may be eligible for the JOBS NOW! SF program, can we submit the required forms for them?

No. Job seekers must submit the required documents in person. For information on where to send candidates to get enrolled in the program, please click here.

Is there a minimum or maximum wage for JOBS NOW! SF employees?

Yes. JOBS NOW! SF employees must be paid at least the San Francisco minimum wage of $9.79 per hour. City vendors subject to the Minimum Compensation Ordinance must pay at least $11.03 per hour. JOBS NOW! employees must be compensated at the same rate as other employees performing the same job functions. SF‐HSA reserves the right to cap JOBS NOW! SF employee wage rates.

Will my business have to pay FICA, SUI, SDI and worker’s compensation insurance for JOBS NOW! SF employees?

Yes, you are responsible for regular payroll taxes including FICA, SUI, SDI and worker’s compensation insurance.

Is my business required to pay the health benefits of the JOBS NOW! SF employees?

SF‐HSA prefers and encourages all employers to provide the same health benefits to participants that they would to any other employee. Please keep in mind that all SF employers must comply with the City’s existing Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO), though private for‐profit employers with fewer than 20 employees and non‐profit employers with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from this requirement. For more details about the HCSO, visit www.sfgov.org/olse

Can my business be reimbursed for costs other than JOBS NOW! SF employee wages?

No. JOBS NOW! SF will only reimburse private employers 100% of the cost of employee wages.

Do you have to be an approved city vendor to participate?

No. All for‐profit or non‐profit employers need to complete the JOBS NOW! SF application, but they do not need be a designated city vendor to participate.

My business is in the East Bay. Am I eligible to participate in JOBS NOW! SF as an employer?

Yes. Any employer in the Bay Area may participate in JOBS NOW! SF.  Job seekers hired through the program must be San Francisco residents, however.

Can my business retroactively apply the JOBS NOW! SF program to employees that we have hired since the program began in July 2009?

No. The program is only available to candidates who are enrolled in the program prior to being hired with your company.

What happens after September 30, 2010?

The availability of Federal stimulus funding for the JOBS NOW! SF program ends on that date.  The City hopes that JOBS NOW! SF employees will have become valued team members at participating businesses by then, and employers are encouraged to retain them after the wage subsidy ends on September 30, 2010. Employers who retain a JOBS NOW! SF participant as a regular employee after the wage subsidy ends may be able to qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.