Domestic Worker’s Bill of Rights in Effect

True to its progressive reputation, Seattle has enacted a Domestic Worker’s Ordinance aimed at ensuring fair wages and employment protections for domestic workers.  In recognition of the large workforce employed in domestic services, Seattle is working to create an environment where these individuals are treated with dignity and receive the same rights as other workers.  Codified as the Domestic Worker’s Ordinance (DWO), the law provides domestic workers with minimum wage, rest breaks, and meals breaks. As an oversight body, the Seattle Office of Labor Standards will evaluate alleged violations and impose fines.  The ordinance went into effect on July 1, 2019. Individuals who provide services within the home, such as nannies, home cleaners, and chefs, to name a few, are now protected and must receive the same minimum wage and breaks or meal periods as other Seattle employees.  Covered by the new law are “hiring entities” a term utilized in recognition that an “employer” of a domestic worker may not be a company but an individual. However, as the law makes clear, those individuals are held to the same standard for their employees. This law will go a long way towards ensuring domestic abuses do not occur in the city of Seattle and that workers are protected and valued no matter their role as an employee.  Domestic workers will be included on the board, ensuring that the voices of the people the law seeks to protect are heard. This new law is a major step in ensuring domestic workers are not only treated to fair labor protections, but recognized as individuals who bring value and experience to our workforce.