The Seattle Office of Labor Standards has moved $5 million from big gig companies to gig workers (so far)

Ever since gig workers in Seattle won first-in-the-nation hazard pay & sick leave laws last summer, workers have been enforcing their new rights & bringing cases to the Seattle Office of Labor Standards for investigation.

It’s working. 

Over the past year, OLS has moved a total of more than $5 million from gig companies to 24K+ gig workers in Seattle for violations of the sick leave and hazard pay laws. And that’s on top of the millions of dollars workers are already getting when companies comply with the law by providing paid sick time and paying $2.50/job hazard pay. 

In the latest settlement announced on August 4th, Postmates is paying nearly a million dollars to workers after failing to provide required sick leave during the pandemic. 

But it’s not just Postmates paying up. Over the past year, plenty of other gig companies have also reached settlements with OLS. Here’s the rundown:

It’s all proof that when we pair innovative labor standards policies — designed by workers, for workers — with robust government enforcement, we can move money from big gig companies to gig workers and raise standards across the entire gig economy.

Up next, gig workers with our PayUp campaign are calling on the Seattle City Council to pass new *permanent* standards that raise pay, protect flexibility, and provide transparency in the gig economy.

You can click here to urge Councilmembers to pass the PayUp policies and end sub-minimum wages for gig workers in Seattle.