JULY 1: New rights for nannies & housecleaners in Seattle take effect

Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda to join nannies to mark occasion with day of celebration & outreach

Domestic Workers Bill of Rights takes effect Monday, July 1st

Beginning Monday, July 1st, nannies, housecleaners, landscapers and other domestic workers in Seattle have new rights at work as the city’s landmark Domestic Workers Bill of Rights takes effect — and they’ll be taking action to make sure the word gets out to workers and employers.

Who: Seattle nannies, City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, and Fair Work Center’s community outreach & education team.

What: Spread the word about the new rights and protections that kick in as the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights takes effect

When: MONDAY, July 1, 2019, 12:00pm

Where: Queen Anne Community Center, 1901 1st Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119 – We will be in the park outside of the community center, which is a popular location for nannies and the children they care for. Nannies will be talking to other nannies about their new rights at work.

About:

Seattle’s Domestic Workers Bill of rights, which takes effect MondayJuly 1st, ensures nannies & house cleaners get the basic rights and benefits every worker needs — including power on the job. The ordinance:

Ends the exclusion of these workers from basic labor standards:

  • Covers all part-time, full-time, independent contractors, and live-in domestic workers in the city — regardless of whether they are employed by an agency or a family.

  • Applies Seattle’s minimum wage to domestic workers, regardless of whether they are classified as employees or contractors.

  • Ensures all domestic workers receive meal and rest breaks, with provisions for those circumstances when breaks may not be feasible.

Provides important new rights and protections:

  • Ensures live-in workers get at least one day off out of every seven days worked.

  • Forbids employers from keeping a worker’s original documents, like passports or driver’s licenses.

  • Strengthens anti-retaliation protections for domestic workers who stand up for their rights.

Establishes a new model of worker power:

  • Establishes a Domestic Workers Standards Board which includes workers, employers, and community representatives and has the power to effectively set industry-wide standards.

  • Mandates that the standards board will address wage standards, portable benefits, hiring agreements, training, paid time off, outreach & enforcement, and other issues as they arise.

  • Gives the board real power by requiring City Council to act on the board’s recommendations within 120 days.

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Contact: Sage Wilson, Working Washington: sage@workingwa.org