A first-of-its-kind settlement of $71k was awarded to a domestic worker. The Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) accused a household employer of violating the Domestic Workers Ordinance, Minimum Wage, Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) and Wage Theft Ordinances. The employer agreed to pay the worker a total of $71,610.03 in back wages, interest and civil penalties.
Employers may use this case to drive an idea of what to expect. In this case, the employer allegedly failed to pay the correct minimum wage for part of the live-in domestic worker’s employment, did not provide PSST or pay overtime, failed to pay for all hours worked, and did not maintain required records for payday information.
Domestic workers needed protections and this law provides it. The city’s Domestic Workers Ordinance was passed on July 1, 2019, to protect nannies, house cleaners, gardeners and cooks working in private homes. The ordinance applies to people working in private homes. These workers have the right to Seattle’s minimum wage, uninterrupted meal and rest breaks and protections against sexual harassment and discrimination, according to the ordinance.
In the last seven years, the city of Seattle has settled nearly 1,000 cases where employers agreed to pay wages owed to their workers at a total of more than $24 million.
In June, the OLS announced one-time funding available to organizations in the Seattle area for outreach and helping domestic workers understand their rights. The $250,000 for domestic worker community organizing will be used for up to eight projects. Nonprofit organizations and grassroots groups that have fiscal sponsorship with a nonprofit organization can apply for funding.
Workers who live or sleep where they are employed are entitled to one day off after working six consecutive days.
The Domestic Workers Standards Board, created in 2019 after the ordinance was passed, said domestic work is done primarily by women and people of color. There were about 33,000 nannies, house cleaners and other domestic workers in Seattle as of 2019.
