For Immediate Release
Contact: Cynthia Santana/Communications Manager
206-256-5219
cynthia.santana@seattle.gov
Seattle Office of Labor Standards Marks 12 Year Anniversary of Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance
More than $75,000 Returned to Workers
Seattle, WA – (November 3, 2025) – The Office of Labor Standards (OLS) announces the 12th anniversary of Seattle’s Fair Chance (FCE) Employment Ordinance.
Since the ordinance took effect on November 1, 2013, the department has recovered $75,174.53 to 123 workers. The FCE Ordinance restricts how employers can use conviction and arrest records during the hiring process and over the course of employment within Seattle city limits.
Most recently, OLS staff investigated BlueCrew, LLC dba BlueCrew Staffing, LLC, an on-demand staffing agency that lists and provides various job opportunities for individuals that could be performed within the City of Seattle, for alleged violations of the FCE Ordinance. The company settled the allegations, agreeing to pay a total financial remedy of $11,763.74 to eight aggrieved parties and fines to the City of Seattle.
OLS alleged the employer categorically excluded individuals with any arrest or conviction record from any employment position that would be performed in whole or in substantial part (at least 50% of the time) within the City of Seattle and failed to:
- Provide an applicant with a reasonable opportunity to explain or correct background check information that the company relied on in its adverse employment decision;
- Hold positions open for a minimum of two business days for eight applicants after notifying the applicants that it would be making an adverse employment decision;
- Respond when the applicant alerted the employer to their rights under the ordinance and retaliated against an applicant by denying them the opportunity to apply for or view job positions within Seattle area due to their background check information; and
- Conduct a legitimate business analysis based on applicant’s conviction record.
BlueCrew agreed to develop and implement a written FCE policy and ensure its local management would attend training on the FCE Ordinance.
“The FCE law empowers individuals and ultimately strengthens our community by promoting fair employment opportunities, helping to reduce recidivism, and addressing racial disparities in the criminal justice system. For over a decade, OLS staff have provided outreach, education, and enforcement of this law. It represents a true fair chance for those with criminal records seeking to rebuild their lives through meaningful work,” said OLS Director Steven Marchese. “As we look ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Seattle and the potential for new jobs related to the event, it’s more important than ever to highlight fair hiring practices and the opportunities the FCE law creates.”
The FCE Ordinance:
- Prohibits categorical exclusions in job ads
- Limits criminal history on job applications and criminal background checks until after an employer conducts an initial screening to eliminate unqualified applicants
- Requires employers to have a legitimate business reason to deny a job based on a conviction record
- Requires employers to provide an opportunity for an applicant or employee to explain or correct criminal history information
“For too many people impacted by the criminal legal system, opportunity was never given. It had to be fought for. Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance opened doors that had long been closed and showed what fairness in hiring can look like. The City’s diligence in implementing and enforcing this ordinance is what makes it truly impactful and life changing for so many,” said Civil Survival Policy Manager, Kelly Olson. “We are deeply grateful to the City of Seattle and the Office of Labor Standards for being early champions in this movement and continuing to lead with equity, accountability, and belief in people’s potential.”
- To learn more about Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance please visit the OLS website by clicking here.
- 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 worker inquiry web form.
- Help for employers: for free and private assistance for compliance with Seattle’s labor standards, call 206-256-5297, email business.laborstandards@seattle.gov or click here to fill out an employer/ hiring entity inquiry web form.
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