Seattle Office of Labor Standards Settles Investigation of Alleged Wage Theft Violations Against Care Provider

Seattle, WA (December 10, 2025) – The Office of Labor Standards (OLS) announces the conclusion of an investigation involving an in-home childcare employer and alleged violations of the Wage Theft Ordinance. OLS investigated a Seattle household employer on the basis that the employer failed to pay all compensation owed by its employment contract when they terminated an employee without paying the full severance owed under the contract. The employee worked as a nanny, providing full-time childcare in the employer’s Seattle home for close to one year. The employer agreed to pay the worker a total financial remedy of $5,316.00 in back wages, interest, and civil penalties to the worker, including a civil penalty for retaliation.

Under the Wage Theft Ordinance, employers must pay “all compensation owed by way of employment” and this includes compensation promised by the terms of an employment contract.

OLS also investigated allegations that the household employer retaliated against their nanny by withholding promised pay after she asserted her right to the full amount of severance, per the employment contract.

“I’m so thankful for the wage theft recovery from the Office of Labor Standards in Seattle. Thanks again to OLS and the whole team for bringing about lawful accountability. I appreciate the laws in place that protect both the employer and the employee,” said the domestic worker.

The household employer agreed to settle the matter and to fully comply with the ordinance if they employ a Seattle-based employee in the future.

“Several Seattle labor standards cover domestic workers in Seattle. In addition to the Seattle Domestic Workers Ordinance, domestic workers who are also employees have rights protected under the Minimum Wage and Wage Theft Ordinances. Domestic workers who are independent contractors are entitled to protections under the Independent Contractor Protections Ordinance,” said OLS Director Steven Marchese. “Both workers and employers need to know their rights and responsibilities. If a domestic worker believes their rights might have been violated, they can come to OLS for assistance regardless of their employment or immigration status.”

“The Domestic Workers Standards Board is grateful to OLS for investigating and settling a violation of the Wage Theft Ordinance for a domestic worker. While domestic workers are protected by the city’s groundbreaking Domestic Worker Ordinance, some are also protected under the city’s other labor ordinances. We hope that this settlement will help all employers in the city to comply with their responsibilities to domestic workers, while also demonstrating to workers that there are remedies when their rights are violated,” said Domestic Workers Standards Board Member Jordan Goldwarg.

To learn more about Seattle’s Wage Theft Ordinance please visit the Wage Theft Ordinance webpage. For information about the Domestic Workers Ordinance and related research please visit the Domestic Workers Ordinance webpage.
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 to fill out a worker inquiry web form visit the Worker Resources – File a Complaint webpage.
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 to fill out an employer/ hiring entity inquiry web form visit the Employer and Hiring Entity Resources webpage.
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Office of Labor Standards, Source: Labor Standards