Record No: CB 119351    Version: Council Bill No: CB 119351
Type: Ordinance (Ord) Status: Passed
Current Controlling Legislative Body City Clerk
On agenda: 9/17/2018
Ordinance No: Ord 125668
Title: AN ORDINANCE relating to the Human Rights Code; broadening coverage of unfair practices to include domestic workers and hiring entities; extending protections to domestic workers and extending obligations to hiring entities; amending Sections 14.04.020 and 14.04.030 of the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC); and adding a new Section 14.04.230 to the SMC.
Sponsors: Lisa Herbold
Attachments: 1. Att A - Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 14.pdf
Supporting documents: 1. Summary and Fiscal Note, 2. Proposed Amendment (added; 9/17/18), 3. Central Staff Memo, 4. Signed Ordinance 125668, 5. Affidavit of Publication
CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the Human Rights Code; broadening coverage of unfair practices to include domestic workers and hiring entities; extending protections to domestic workers and extending obligations to hiring entities; amending Sections 14.04.020 and 14.04.030 of the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC); and adding a new Section 14.04.230 to the SMC.
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WHEREAS, the labor domestic workers provide is an important contribution to The City of Seattle's ("City") economy and prosperity, and provides the support services that enable other individuals to participate in the workforce; and
WHEREAS, while the individual nature of domestic work makes it challenging to identify the number of domestic workers, using available labor data from the American Community Survey and Bureau of Labor Statistics and information from their labor and community networks, the Seattle Domestic Workers Alliance (SDWA) estimates there are around 33,000 domestic workers in Seattle; and
WHEREAS, many domestic workers are women, immigrants, and people of color who work in or about private homes, isolated from other workers; and
WHEREAS, due to the isolated nature of their work, many domestic workers are unaware of their rights and many hiring entities are unaware of their responsibilities; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 125627, passed by the City Council on July 23, 2018, established labor standards for domestic workers and a Domestic Workers Standards Board in Chapter 14.23 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 125627 will be implemented and enforced by the City's Office of Labor Standards; and
WHEREAS, the definition of "domestic worker" pursuant to Ordinance 125627 includes employees and independent contractors, hourly and salaried employees, full-time and part-time workers, and temporary workers, in recognition that domestic workers are in varying work arrangements; and
WHEREAS, due to the isolated na...

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