Know Your Rights for Business Owners and Employers
The Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) works to support immigrant-owned businesses, and workers from immigrant and refugee communities by providing access to information and resources. This helps improve livelihoods and boosts Seattle’s economic growth. One key part of this effort is to provide education and training for business owners and workers on their workplace rights and regulations.
2026 resources and trainings
OIRA, the Seattle Office of Economic Development and the Seattle Office of Labor Standards hosted a virtual Know Your Rights Training for business owners and employers on Thursday, May 14, 2026, where live interpretation was offered in Spanish and Oromo.
This training was designed to inform business owners and employers about how to ensure compliance with existing immigration regulations and how to protect the workplace. Immigration attorneys, Adam Boyd and Breanne Johnson from Gibbs Houston Pauw, were the main presenters. The latest training focused on form I-9s audits and other important documentation, rights and responsibilities in the event of immigration enforcement actions, and best practices to prepare for emergencies and workplace safety.
A video recording of the training is available at the bottom of this page and on OIRA's youtube channel. The attorney’s presentation slides in English are available to download here.
A translated version of the 2026 Know Your Rights attorney presentation is also available to download in:
Spanish, Oromo and Amharic training recordings will be available soon.
2025 resources and trainings
Last year, on April 8, 2025, OIRA previously partnered with the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) to host a virtual “Know Your Rights” training for business owners and employers. This event explained how businesses can follow immigration regulations and how to protect both their workers and workplace. See video below.
OED, the American Business Immigration Coalition, and Diane Butler, a partner and immigration attorney from Davis Wright Tremaine, offered resources and best practices for small business owners and workers. The training covered topics such as Form I-9s audits, Social Security Administration’s No Match Letters, and ICE Raids. A handout was created by Davis Wright Tremaine with general information from the training, and the city provided translation in the following languages to promote language access for Seattle residents:
A video recording of the training is available on OIRA's Youtube channel, and you can download the training slides. Also see our Know Your Rights resource webpage which is intended to inform and support community members, City departments, and community-based organizations, partners, and service providers who are working to support immigrant and refugee communities in Seattle and Washington state and help keep all our residents safe.