For Immediate Release
Contact Information
Cynthia Santana
Phone: 206-256-5219
Email: cynthia.santana@seattle.gov
Final Administrative Rules for City of Seattle Hotel Employee Protection Ordinances – Chapter 190
Seattle – June 24, 2020 – The Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) announces final 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).
These rules will be collectively referred to as “Seattle Human Rights Rules, Chapter 190: Practices for administering hotel employee protections under Seattle Municipal Codes 14.26, 14.27, 14.28, and 14.29. The full text of the final rules is available at: http://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/ordinances/hotel-employee-protections.
The rules, finalized after a 20-day public comment period, give guidance and clarification about the four hotel employee protections ordinances, including on the following areas:
- 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 an 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”.
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.
Question and Answer documents are available for each of the laws, as well as other resources and documents.
For more information, visit the Office of Labor Standards Hotel Employee Protections webpage.
####