Office of Labor Standards proposes amendments to Paid Sick and Safe Time and Secure Scheduling Ordinances, and 2018 Minimum Wage Updates

Seattle (November 14, 2017) –The Seattle Office of Labor Standards is proposing legislation to amend the Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) and Secure Scheduling (SS) ordinances.

The PSST amendments incorporate the more generous provisions of voter-passed, Washington Initiative 1433 establishing statewide paid sick leave.

Under state law, the 1433 provisions automatically apply to hourly employees working in Seattle and throughout Washington state.
Under OLS’s proposed legislation, the 1433 provisions apply equally to hourly employees and overtime-exempt employees working in Seattle (with a few limited exceptions). Since PSST has always applied to hourly and overtime-exempt employees, the proposed legislation maintains this broad employee coverage.

Examples of amendments include:

All employers with at least one employee are required to provide PSST
No work study exemption
Family members include, child (of any age), sibling, and grandchild
No caps on use
Time-Limited Collective Bargaining Agreement Waiver

The Secure Scheduling amendments clarify employer coverage in response to changes in federal NAICS codes.

City Council is expected to vote on this legislation in December 2017. Details on the legislation can be found on the OLS website.

OLS is offering the following public trainings to share information on these proposed amendments and other 2018 updates, such as the increased minimum wage:

Presentation – Downtown City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes Room
Monday, November 27, 2017, 10:00 am to 11:30 am PST
(Click here to register by 5:00 pm PST, November 26)

Webinar
Tuesday, November 28, 2017, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm PST
(Click here to register by 5:00 pm PST, November 27)

Webinar
Thursday, December 7, 2017, 9:30 am to 10:30 am PST
(Click here to register by 5:00 pm PST, December 6)

Webinar
Wednesday, December 13, 2017, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm PST
(Click here to register by 5:00 pm PST, December 12)

Webinar
Thursday, December 14, 2017, 10:00 am to 11:00 am PST
(Click here to register by 5:00 pm PST, December 13)

2018 Minimum Wage Increases take effect January 1, 2018, and reflect inflation adjustments and annual increases mandated by ordinance.

Large Employers (501 or more employees)

$15.45/hour: If the employer does NOT pay toward the individual’s medical benefits.
$15.00/hour: If the employer DOES pay toward the individual’s medical benefits.

Small Employers (500 or fewer employees)

$14.00/hour: If the employer does NOT pay at least $2.50/hour toward the individual’s medical benefits and/or the employee does NOT earn at least $2.50/hour in tips.
$11.50/hour: If the employer DOES pay at least $2.50/hour toward the individual’s medical benefits and/or the employee earns at least $2.50/hour in tips.

All employers operating in Seattle must comply with Seattle’s labor standards regarding Minimum Wage, Paid Sick and Safe Time, Wage Theft, and Fair Chance Employment. Other labor standards that apply to specific employers include Secure Scheduling and Hotel Employees Health and Safety.

Revised Labor Standards posters for 2018 will be available December 1, 2017 at the Office of Labor Standards website.

Help for employers: For free and private individualized assistance with any Seattle labor standard or to schedule a training, call 206-256-5297 or email business.laborstandards@seattle.gov.
Help for workers and the public: To ask a question, file a complaint, or provide information, call 206-256-5297, email workers.laborstandards@seattle.gov, visit the Office of Labor Standards in downtown Seattle at 810 Third Ave. Suite 375, or click here to fill out a web form.

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Source: Labor Standards