Workers with the Pay Up campaign have been pushing for emergency protections during the COVID crisis, as well as long-term pay standards to protect gig workers — and here in Seattle, we've recently passed laws requiring gig companies to give workers hazard pay and sick leave.
If you do gig work in Seattle city limits, these laws apply to you & we want to make sure you know two important new rights! We have outlined some info on hazard pay (in effect from June 26) and sick leave (in effect July 13). These are the basics — click through to get more details on these laws & how you can help enforce them.
$2.50 Hazard Pay for each delivery (CB 119799)
You are now entitled to $2.50 in hazard pay for each restaurant or grocery delivery you make inside the Seattle city limits. Hazard pay must be listed separately on your pay report, and paid out on top of what you would otherwise be paid. The hazard pay requirement took effect on Friday July 26th at 8:30pm, and continues for as long as the city’s official coronavirus state of emergency is in effect.
Paid Sick Days for gig workers (CB 119793)
Gig delivery workers and Uber/Lyft drivers now have the right to take paid sick days. You’ll start off with a certain number of paid sick days based on how much you’ve worked back to October of last year, and you’ll continue to accrue paid sick days going forward at a rate of 1 day for every 30 days you work. When you take a paid sick day, you’ll get paid based on your average daily compensation, including tips. No doctor’s note or other documentation is required to take a sick day during the coronavirus pandemic. The sick days law in in effect starting Monday, July 13th.