For Immediate Release
July 12, 2018
Contact: Cynthia Santana, Communications Manager, 206-256-5219, cynthia.santana@seattle.gov
Final Rule on Inflation Measurement for Seattle’s Hotel Employees Health and Safety Initiative Takes Effect Today
The inflation measurement is needed in the calculation for the additional compensation for medical care
Seattle – (July 12, 2018) – The Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) has finalized its rule on the inflation measurement rule, which will be added to the administrative rules for Seattle’s Hotel Employees Health and Safety (HEHS) Initiative. This final rule addresses the inflation measurement needed to calculate additional compensation for medical care.
The inflation measurement is part of the formula, found in SMC 14.25.120(A), that is used to determine the amount of additional compensation owed to a low income, covered employee in order to improve access to medical care. The ordinance requires the figure of $200 to be adjusted annually based on the “year-over-year increase in cost of the lowest-cost, gold-level policy available on the Washington Health Benefit Exchange.” The cost of a gold-level policy is tied to an individual’s smoking status, the county in which the resident lives, and age. To provide a consistent inflation measurement that pertains to hotel employees covered by the ordinance, OLS’s rule pegs the lowest-cost, gold- level plan to the average aged employee who is a nonsmoker, lives in King County, and works in the traveler accommodation (hotel/motel) industry. The rule also requires OLS to file the adjusted figure with the City Clerk. This additional rule becomes effective on July 12, 2018.
The remainder of the final administrative rules for Seattle’s HEHS Initiative became effective July 1, 2018. HEHS, a voter-passed initiative, took effect November 2016 and provides employees with protections against violence, sexual harassment, and workplace injury, and promotes access to health care and job stability. The HEHS Initiative covers hotels with 60 or more guest rooms, with greater requirements for those with 100 or more guest rooms.
OLS has updated its materials with the rule and with the adjusted figure. For more information on the HEHS Initiative, a revised Toolkit for Calculating Additional Compensation Payments for Medical Care, and an updated Questions and Answers document, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards.
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