For Immediate Release
Contact: Cynthia Santana/Communications Manager 206-256-5219 cynthia.santana@seattle.gov
The Office of Labor Standards Issues Final Rule Revisions for Seattle’s Hotel Employees Health and Safety Initiative – Chapter 150
Seattle – (May 31, 2018) The Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) announces final administrative rules for the Hotel Employees Health and Safety Initiative (HEHS) (SMC 14.25). The voter-passed initiative took effect on November 30, 2016.
The extensive HEHS rulemaking process began on January 18, 2018. Over the course of eight weeks, OLS held 17 stakeholder meetings in which we received valuable feedback from employers, workers, and advocates. A fourteen-day public notice and comment period in April followed with nearly 300 comments from the public.
Chapter 150 provides the framework for the administration of the HEHS Initiative. The administrative rules clarify many issues including:
- Scope of the right to paid time to make a police statement or consult with an advisor after reporting an act of violence by a hotel guest;
- Requirements related to cleaning limitations and premium pay for employees providing housekeeping services;
- Requirements related to payment of additional compensation related to health insurance costs and related exceptions to payment; and
- Content of the required Notice of Employee Rights.
Although the ordinance grants limited enforcement authority to OLS, OLS may investigate and enforce the failure to pay any additional compensation owed to an employee under the Hotel Employees Health and Safety Initiative.
Additional resources to facilitate a better understanding of the ordinance’s requirements include a Questions and Answers document, a model notice of employee rights that will be translated into several languages, and an updated Employer Record-keeping Guide. A schedule for employer trainings and development of worker and train-the-trainer workshops are also available on the OLS website.
For more information, visit https://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards or call 206-256-5297.
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