For Immediate Release
Contact Information
Cynthia Santana/Communications Manager
206-256-5219
cynthia.santana@seattle.gov
Proposed Administrative Rules for City of Seattle Hotel Employee Protection Ordinances
Office of Labor Standards invites public comments until June 5, 2020
Seattle – (May 15, 2020) – The Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) has proposed Administrative Rules for Seattle’s four hotel employee protections ordinances: The Hotel Employees Safety Protections Ordinance (SMC 14.26), The Protecting Hotel Employees from Injury Ordinance (SMC 14.27), The Improving Access to Medical Care for Hotel Employees Ordinance (SMC 14.28), and The Hotel Employees Job Retention Ordinance (SMC 14.29).
When final, these rules will be collectively referred to as “Seattle Human Rights Rules, Chapter 190: Practices for administering hotel worker protections under Seattle Municipal Codes 14.26, 14.27, 14.28, and 14.29. The full text of the rules is available at: http://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/ordinances/hotel-employee-protections.
Members of the public have until June 5, 2020, to comment on these proposed rule. Please send comments by email to jenee.jahn@seattle.gov or by regular mail to:
Seattle Office of Labor Standards
810 Third Ave., Suite 375
Seattle, WA 98104-1627
Attn: Jenee Jahn, Interim Director / Hotel Employee Protections Rule Comment
You can also comment by calling 206-256-5426.
The proposed Administrative Rules clarify several issues raised by the four hotel employee protections ordinances, including:
- Ancillary Hotel Businesses: clarifies the definition of ancillary hotel businesses, including clarifying the meaning of “routinely contracts,” “site of the hotel”, and when a “business has an entrance within the hotel premises.”
- Providing guests with notice of anti-violence policy (SMC 14.26): Clarifies the “other methods” by which an employer may notify a guest of their policy against violent or harassing guest conduct prior to or at time of check-in.
- Team Cleaning (SMC 14.27): clarifies the requirements related to an employee’s consent and withdrawal of consent to team clean, and the circumstances under which an employer may assign team cleaning without an employee’s consent.
- Employee Coverage (SMC 14.28): clarifies the calculation of the 80 hours threshold for employee coverage
- Healthcare expenditures (SMC 14.28): Clarifies calculating and making healthcare expenditures
- Waiver of SMC 14.28: Clarifies the process and permissibility of employee waivers of SMC 14.28
- Job retention (SMC 14.29): clarifies the meaning of “hire by seniority” and the definition of “discharge for just cause”
To develop these rules, OLS held five stakeholder meetings with workers, employers, labor and industry representatives, and others.
These laws go into effect for many covered employers on July 1, 2020. These laws apply to hotel employers and some employers who have certain business relationships with, or proximity to, hotels.
These ordinances aim to provide worker protections to hotel employees, including:
- Requiring covered employers to take certain steps to prevent violent and harassing conduct by guests and to support employees who report this kind of conduct. The Hotel Employees Safety Protections Ordinance SMC 14.26
- Limiting the workload of employees who clean hotel rooms to reduce the frequency and occurrence of injuries associated with room cleaning. The Protecting Hotel Employees from Injury Ordinance 14.27
- Requiring covered employers to provide certain employees who work in large hotels with increased access to medical care by making certain healthcare expenditures to or on behalf of employees. The Improving Access to Medical Care for Hotel Employees Ordinance SMC 14.28
- Requiring covered employers to take certain actions for hourly, non-supervisory employees to reduce job insecurity in the hospitality industry. The Hotel Employees Job Retention Ordinance 14.29
For more information, visit the Office of Labor Standards Hotel Employee Protections webpage.
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