For Immediate Release
October 28, 2020
Contact: Cynthia Santana, Communications Manager, 206-256-5219, cynthia.santana@seattle.gov
As of October 1, 2020, The Office of Labor Standard has assessed More Than $10 million in Remedies for Seattle Workers
During the Third Quarter of 2020, 15 Investigations Resulting in Payments of over $1 million in Remedies were Resolved
Seattle – (October 28, 2020) – As of October 1, 2020, the Office of Labor Standards has assessed more than $10 million in remedies for Seattle workers. Between July and September 2020, the Office of Labor Standards (OLS) settled 15 investigations with 10 employers and issued determination of violation involving one employer. Under the settlements and orders, employers paid a total of $1,147,381.34, with 7,347 workers receiving $1,140,828.50 in backpay.
One of those settled investigations included Fred Meyer, that operates three Seattle locations, currently employing approximately 750 employees and thousands of employees worldwide. Fred Meyer settled allegations under the Secure Scheduling Ordinance. OLS alleged, among other things, that Fred Meyer failed to pay premium pay for work schedule changes. The total financial remedy was $616.4 thousand, which included $614.2 thousand owed to 893 employees and $2 thousand to the City of Seattle.
“The Office of Labor Standards is crucial to the safety and security of workers. Employers have access to hundreds of millions of dollars to protect their own interests. We have the Office of Labor Standards. Without their efforts, I believe many workers’ rights would have been and continue to be violated. Workers need the ability to count on them for the justice we all deserve,” said Christina, Fred Meyer employee.
“OLS strives to make Seattle’s low-wage workers whole and assist businesses to comply with worker protections. It is important to OLS that the workers that are impacted by our investigations, many of whom are essential and often live paycheck to paycheck, know that these laws protect them, especially during this challenging year.” said Jeneé Jahn, OLS Interim Director.
OLS recently launched five new interactive dashboards to provide the public with user friendly navigation of data. The dashboards display details of financial remedies, worker inquiries, resolved investigations, open and filed investigations, and employer technical assistance data. The dashboards can be found on the OLS website by clicking here.
To learn more about other case closures, visit our Investigations page located on the OLS website.
- Help for employers: for free and private assistance for compliance with Seattle’s minimum wage and other labor standards, call 206-256-5297, email business.laborstandards@seattle.gov or click here to fill out an online request form.
- 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, or click here to fill out a web form.
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