Published on November 16, 2017
The Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) recently announced proposed legislation to update the City of Seattle’s Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) ordinance. The proposed legislation would broaden PSST to match certain provisions of I-1433, the law that establishes statewide paid sick leave beginning January 1, 2018. Amendments include:
- Expanding the PSST ordinance to cover all employers with at least one employee
- Expanding the definition of a family member to include children of any age, siblings, and grandchildren
- Lowering the waiting period for employees to use PSST hours to 90 days after employment
- Eliminating the exemption from PSST requirements for employees working under a work study agreement
The proposed legislation would also increase the Seattle minimum wage effective January 1, 2018 to account for inflation and previously mandated annual increases. The new hourly minimum wage would be:
- $15.45 for large employers (over 500 employees nationally) who do not pay toward medical benefits
- $15.00 for large employers (over 500 employees nationally) who do pay toward medical benefits
- $14.00 for small employers (500 or fewer employees nationally) where the employee does not receive tips or employer-paid medical benefits totaling at least $2.00/hour
- $11.50 for small employers (500 or fewer employees nationally) where the employee receives at least $2.00/hour in tips or employer-paid medical benefits
The OLS is offering in-person and webinar trainings on the proposed amendments and minimum wage increase.
For more information, read the OLS press release or visit the Seattle Office of Labor Standards.
If you have questions or would like help reviewing your policies for compliance, please contact any member of Ryan Swanson’s Employment, Labor, and Employee Benefits group.
Shannon Lawless is an attorney in Ryan Swanson’s Employment, Rights & Benefits Group and can be reached at [email protected].
This message has been created by the Employment Rights, Benefits & Labor Group at Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC to advise of recent developments in the law. Because each situation is different, this information is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice on any specific facts and circumstances. Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC is a full-service law firm located in Seattle, Washington.
