Seattle’s new wage theft law requires employers to post written notices in languages commonly spoken at their workplace.

(April 3, 2015) Under Seattle’s Administrative Wage Theft Ordinance, which went into effect on April 1, the newly created Office of Labor Standards (OLS) can investigate workers’ complaints of nonpayment of wages and tips. OLS also has the authority to ensure that workers who have not been paid properly receive full remedies, including back wages plus interest, and it can also impose civil penalties for failure to follow notice requirements.

The Administrative Wage Theft Ordinance, which was signed into law in December 2014, requires employers to:

· Provide a 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.

· Provide written notice (such as a workplace poster) to employees that they are entitled to their rights under the ordinance.
Notices must be in English, Spanish and other languages commonly spoken at a given work site. (OLS will release posters in
other languages later in April.)

· Keep payroll records for at least three years for employees covered under the ordinance.

If an employer fails to promptly comply with the remedy defined in a OLS Director’s order, the City of Seattle has the authority to refuse to issue or revoke a business license. Charges can be filed up to three years after an alleged violation. OLS will not impose penalties in the first year for failure to follow wage theft notice requirements.

The new Wage Theft Ordinance does not replace the City of Seattle’s criminal investigations of wage theft. It remains a crime under Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) 12A.08.060 to withhold payment of wages and tips owed to employees.