More than $54,000 in Remedies Returned to 95 Employees
For Immediate Release
Contact Information
Cynthia Santana
Phone: 206-256-5219
Email: cynthia.santana@seattle.gov
Seattle Office of Labor Standards and Great Pacific Ironworks (dba Patagonia) Reach Informal Agreement
More than $54,000 in Remedies Returned to 95 Employees
Seattle, WA (July 13, 2022) – The Office of Labor Standards (OLS) reached an informal resolution with Great Pacific Ironworks, dba Patagonia. The retail store for outdoor clothing and related goods operates one Seattle location where it employs approximately 25 people and has approximately 2,600 employees worldwide.
The company settled allegations that it failed to post work schedules with 14 days advance notice between May 2019 and April 2022, as required by the Secure Scheduling Ordinance, and agreed to pay $54,654.45 in civil penalties to 95 employees and a $575.31 fine to the City of Seattle.
“I’m very happy that everyone who has worked for the store over the past few years is going to be compensated, and very impressed with the speed and efficacy with which the city has carried out this investigation. I hope this encourages other businesses to put more effort into training and understanding the legal ramifications of not adhering to the law and encourages employees to come forward and self-advocate,” said an employee. “I’m glad that Patagonia was willing to cooperate and hope that they use this opportunity to encourage managers company-wide to better uphold Patagonia’s goal of being a responsible company.”
“Patagonia serves as a good example of how companies can ‘do right’ by their employees when faced with labor violations. The company made sure it paid all employees impacted by the alleged Secure Scheduling violations. OLS has been protecting workers’ rights since 2015 with the help of workers coming forward to report violations. We have also supported businesses to stay in compliance with all Seattle’s labor standards through free training and technical assistance,” said Steven Marchese, OLS Director.
Seattle’s Secure Scheduling Ordinance went into effect on July 1, 2017. Since then, $5,614,759.79 in remedies have been returned to 5,652 affected workers under this law.
To learn more about the Secure Scheduling Ordinance please click here or contact the Office of Labor Standards at http://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards or call 206-256-5297.
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