Pay or Play Program
The Pay or Play Program policy applies to all contracts that exceed $100,000 and/or all subcontracts that exceed $200,000 throughout the life of the contract.
The POP Program does not apply to:
- Any contract in which the primary purpose (51% or more) is the procurement or purchase of property, leases, goods, supplies, and/or equipment;
- 4.2.2. An intergovernmental contract, interlocal agreement, bulk purchasing or purchasing cooperative.
- 4.2.3. Any contract for which the City of Houston has not expended funds, regardless of funding source.
All employees over the age of 18 who work at least 30 hours per week or any amount of time under a covered City contract or sub-contract.
Pay or Play Options
PLAY
Each covered employee must be given health insurance coverage that meets the following standards:
- The employer contributes no less than 75% of the total premium costs per covered employee per month toward the total premium cost; and
- The covered employee contributes, if any amount, no greater than 25% of the total monthly premium costs.
PAY
- The contractor will have to submit workforce audits in B2GNow (https://houston.mwdbe.com/ ) that list all PAY employees' total work hours for the firm and the total hours they work each week on the City of Houston contract.
- A fee of $1 will be assessed to the employer for each hour over 30 hours that covered employees' work until contract completion. POP invoices are generated via the B2GNow website and sent to the email address listed in the vendor's profile. Invoice payments are due within 30 days of receipt via the Chase Payment Portal in B2GNow. Checks or ACH Deposit payments are no longer accepted. For payment instructions or clarity, contact HCD Pay or Play Coordinators LaQuinta Burton or Leslie Joseph at 832-393-6200.
Pay and Play
A contractor may PAY on behalf of some covered employees and PLAY on behalf of other covered employees, including subcontractors' covered employees.
EXEMPTION
There are several means for an employee to be considered exempt from the POP program, including:
- Under the age of 18
- Has insurance through their spouse
- Has Medicaid/Medicare
- Refuses Health Insurance from their employer that meets City of Houston Requirements.
- For each exempt employee, a POP-8 form must be filled out, and supporting documentation/ acceptable proof of insurance is required. The POP-8 forms should be signed, notarized, and completed by the employee.
A full list of required documents for the Pay or Play program are available on the City of Houston's Office of Business Opportunity’s website .
Department-Specific Guides:
For more information, contact the department’s Pay or Play Coordinators, LaQuinta Burton or Leslie Joseph, at 832-393-6200.
