For Immediate Release
Contact Information
Cynthia Santana
Phone: 206-256-5219
Email: cynthia.santana@seattle.gov
Seattle Office of Labor Standards Announces Expiration of Temporary COVID-19 Grocery Worker and Gig Worker Ordinances Providing Protections During Pandemic
Combined $18,711,472.14 Returned to 81,561 Workers
Seattle, WA (December 8, 2025) – The Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) announces the Grocery Employee Hazard Pay (GEHP), Gig Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time (GWPSST) and Gig Worker Premium Pay (GWPP) Ordinances are no longer in effect. The City of Seattle enacted these temporary ordinances in order to provide essential workers with heightened pay and access to paid sick leave in recognition of the significant risks they were subject to during the COVID-19 civil emergency. While these laws are no longer in effect, the City passed complementary permanent protections for gig workers through the App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance and the App-Based Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance.
During the time OLS enforced these three laws, OLS investigated 17 companies, which resulted in a combined $18,711,472.14 in remedies being returned to 81,561 affected workers.
The GEHP Ordinance required certain grocery businesses to provide employees with hourly hazard pay between February 3, 2021 and September 1, 2022. OLS had authority to investigate potential violations of the law through September 2, 2025.
The GWPSST Ordinance required large Food Delivery Network Companies (FDNCs) to allow gig workers to accrue, and use paid sick and safe time (PSST) between July 13, 2020 and April 30, 2023. Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) were also covered through December 31, 2022.
The GWPP Ordinance required TNCs and FDNCs to pay gig workers at least an extra $2.50 per order where there was either a pick-up or drop-off in Seattle between June 26, 2020 and October 31, 2022. The substantive rights under the two gig worker ordinances ceased to be in effect when the mayor lifted the emergency order on October 31, 2022, and OLS had authority to investigate potential violations of these laws through October 31, 2025.
GEHP Ordinance
- Between February 3, 2021 and September 1, 2022, this temporary COVID-19 law required some grocery businesses to provide certain employees with $4 hourly hazard pay.
- $391,089.53 in remedies were returned to 216 affected workers.
GWPSST Ordinance
- Between July 13, 2020 and April 30, 2023, the GWPSST Ordinance required that FDNCs (and TNCs for a time through December 31, 2022) provide PSST to gig workers for qualifying circumstances.
- $11,528,082.46 in remedies were returned to 57,586 affected workers.
GWPP Ordinance
- Between June 26, 2020 and October 31, 2022, the GWPP Ordinance required that FDNCs and TNCs provide delivery workers an extra $2.50 for each online order with a pick-up or drop-off in Seattle and an extra $1.25 for each additional pick-up or drop-off in Seattle.
- $6,792,300.15 in remedies were returned to 23,759 affected workers.
“Us gig workers have been met with conditions during the pandemic that were often risky. Having someone to advocate for gig workers lets us know that we have support and a way to have a voice. I am very grateful for this timely and judicious settlement. Thank you, Seattle City Council, for legislating PSST for when we need a sick day,” said a Gig Worker.
“During the chaos of the pandemic, the Gig Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance helped thousands of Seattle workers when they needed it the most. I really appreciate everything the OLS has done for us,” said another Gig Worker.
“Gig workers showed up for Seattle in our most challenging moments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they remain an essential part of our local workforce and economy,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “I’m proud that multiple of these pandemic protections for app-based workers have been made permanent, including paid sick and safe time and minimum compensation. These are nation-leading policies that show our values as a city where every worker deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.”
“These COVID-19 gig worker protections came at a critical moment for Seattle workers. Our city was faced with overwhelming unknowns as the pandemic unfolded that impacted people’s health and safety. It quickly became clear that the city relied on grocery workers and gig workers who put their lives at potential risk to keep people fed and our economy moving. In an unprecedented response, the City of Seattle swiftly passed temporary COVID-19 worker protections to support them. The investigations and resulting remedies provided to workers demonstrate that theses ordinance were effective and impactful,” said OLS Director Steven Marchese. “While OLS no longer has authority to enforce these laws, we remain steadfast in enforcing current app-based worker regulations, as well as other Seattle laws protecting workers’ rights.”
“The COVID-19 Pandemic showed us just how essentials many of the workers who power our society are. I’m proud of the protections we put in place during the height of the crisis and even prouder that the temporary measures have led to permanent standards for these workers such as the app based minimum wage and paid sick and permanent accrual of sick and safe time that has recently been built upon allowing drivers to now use parental leave like other workers here in Washington State. Thank you to partners like the Drivers Union and Working Washington who have helped bring the respect and dignity to app-based work because these workers like any other workers are worthy of our protection, our respect and our appreciation,” said King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (former City of Seattle Councilmember who sponsored the laws).
“The COVID pandemic laid bare the unjust impact of a broken economy on working people. Food delivery gig workers were among the many who could not stay safe at home and continue to make a living, so we fought for the protections that would keep working families in this industry whole. We saw these wins work for years and will not stop organizing to uplift the working people who too easily fall through the gaps in an economy that wasn’t built for us,” said Executive Director of Working Washington Danielle Alvarado.
Although the emergency gig worker ordinances are no longer in effect, the App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance, effective January 13, 2024, the App-Based Worker Deactivation Rights Ordinance, effective January 1, 2025, and the App-Based Worker PSST Ordinance, effective January 13, 2024 , expanded certain rights and provide new protections to app-based workers. For more information and resources app-based worker laws, please click here to visit the OLS App-Based Worker Ordinances webpage.
- Help for app-based workers, independent contractors, and the public: to ask a question, file a complaint, or provide information, call 206-256-5297, email laborstandards@seattle.gov, or click here to fill out an online request form.
- Help for network companies: for free and private assistance for compliance with Seattle’s labor standards, call 206-256-5297, email laborstandards@seattle.gov or click here to fill out an online request form.
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