The City of Seattle, WA has released the workplace posting and employer information template that satisfies the notice requirements of the City’s new Minimum Wage and Wage Theft Ordinances. The new laws:
- establish City minimum wage rates for work performed in the City,
- require employers to provide employees with identifying information and pay disclosures, and
- provide an administrative framework for wage enforcement and violation procedures.
The Minimum Wage Ordinance
The Minimum Wage Ordinance (SMC 14.19) requires employers to pay a minimum wage rate based on employer size. To calculate employer size, the employer’s total number of individual employees within the United States count, regardless of where those employees work. Effective April 1, 2015, large employers (over 500 employees) are required to pay a minimum wage of $11.00 per hour. Small employers (500 or fewer employees) may pay a minimum wage rate of $11.00 per hour or $10.00 per hour with qualifying tips or medical benefits. The minimum wage rate is scheduled to increase annually each January 1.
The Wage Theft Ordinance
The Wage Theft Ordinance creates an administrative process for addressing wage theft complaints. The Ordinance requires employers to:
- Provide written notice to employees at time of hire or change of employment, containing the employer’s name, physical address and contact information, pay rate, pay basis, regular pay day and tip policies.
- Pay all wages and tips owed to employees on a regular pay day.
- Provide written notice to employees each time wages and tips are paid detailing employees’ gross wages and tips, rate of pay, pay basis and all deductions.
- Keep payroll records for no less than 3 years for employees covered under the ordinance.
Remedies
Employees may file a complaint with the Office of Labor Standards for nonpayment of the minimum wage or wages owed, failure to provide required notices, and retaliation for exercising rights under the laws.
Notice to Employees
Employers must provide employees with notice of their rights under both Ordinances. The notice must be given in English, Spanish, and any other language that is commonly spoken by employees in the workplace.
- Employers can satisfy the Minimum Wage Ordinance’s notice requirement by displaying the Seattle Minimum Wage & Wage Theft Bilingual Poster.
- Employers can comply with the Wage Theft Ordinance’s notice requirement using the Washington/Seattle Notice of Employment Information template available on CPC’s FREE downloads web page, and making pay disclosures with regular pay statements.