July-September 2023

OLS investigated DoorDash, Inc. for alleged violations of the Gig Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) Ordinance. The food delivery network company operates worldwide and has thousands of gig workers in Seattle. OLS alleged the company failed to establish an accessible PSST system for some gig workers to request and use PSST, failed to timely compensate some gig workers for use of PSST, and failed to provide a monthly notice of PSST balance information to all its Seattle workforce over a period of two months. The company settled the allegations and agreed to pay a total financial remedy of $1,635,823.84 which included $500,064.13 to 648 workers, $8,629.62 in fines to the City of Seattle, and $1,127,130.06 in PSST credits to approximately 26,500 workers.

OLS investigated M812, Inc. dba Crown Hill Grocery Outlet for alleged violations of the Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) Ordinance. Specifically, OLS investigated allegations the company did not have a written PSST policy, had a non-compliant attendance policy, and retaliated against an employee for exercising their rights under the Ordinance. The company settled the allegations and agreed to pay a total financial remedy of $7,835.60 to two former workers and $1,225.00 to the City of Seattle.

OLS investigated Millennium Kids at Georgetown and its owner for alleged violations of the Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance. The employers operate an early childhood education center in Seattle, employ fewer than 20 Seattle employees, and are associated with an early childhood education facility and educational summer camp program in Burien, Washington. OLS alleged the employers failed to maintain a PSST policy that complied with the PSST Ordinance, required workers to provide doctors’ notes when using sick leave for fewer than three consecutive days, and pressured employees to work after they requested sick leave. OLS further alleged that, after two workers used sick leave, the employers refused to put the workers back on the schedule for 12-14 days, in retaliation for using sick leave. Respondents settled the allegations and agreed to pay $24,785.87 to 61 affected workers, which includes $23,746.08 in civil penalties to 61 workers and $1,039.79 in back wages, interest, and liquidated damages to 3 workers. The employers also agreed to pay $1,908.56 in fines to the City of Seattle and to have management staff attend labor standards training.

OLS investigated Sodexo America LLC and SDH Education West LLC for alleged violations of the Wage Theft, Paid Sick and Safe Time, and Secure Scheduling Ordinances at their Seattle Pacific University locations. Sodexo is a global food services and facilities management company with 420,000 employees worldwide and SDH Education West, LLC employs 271 employees in Seattle. OLS alleged the companies failed to provide required rest and meal breaks, disciplined employees for using paid sick leave, and failed to provide employee schedules with 14 days' notice at these campus locations. The companies settled the allegations and agreed to pay a total financial remedy of $248,985.62 to 287 employees and $984.28 to the City of Seattle. The companies also agreed to provide employees with written schedules at least 14 days in advance moving forward and to develop and implement a written Secure Scheduling policy.

OLS investigated Roadie, Inc., a crowdsourced delivery platform, for alleged violations under the Gig Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance and the Gig Worker Premium Pay Ordinance. OLS alleged that for over two years the company failed to provide delivery workers with paid sick and safe time (PSST), failed to provide workers notice of their PSST balance, failed to provide workers with a notice of PSST rights and the company’s PSST policy, failed to provide premium pay, and failed to provide workers with a notice of premium pay rights. The company agreed to pay a total financial remedy of $822,159.44 to 1,536 drivers and $23,365 to the City of Seattle to settle the case.

OLS investigated Grubhub for alleged violations of the Gig Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance and the Gig Worker Premium Pay Ordinance. The food delivery network company operates nationwide and has several thousand gig workers in Seattle. OLS alleged the company failed to establish an accessible PSST system for some gig workers who were denied PSST after “toggling” available on the app but did not accept deliveries, failed to provide a monthly notice of PSST balance information to gig workers for a period of twelve months, failed to pay premium pay to gig workers for several days when the law first took effect in 2020, and failed to pay premium pay to some gig workers who performed work in Seattle such as attempting to pick up orders from closed restaurants. The company settled the allegations and agreed to pay a total financial remedy of $1,529,078.16 to 4,580 affected workers and $12,461.76 in fines to the City of Seattle.

OLS investigated The Rodmar Inc. dba El Sombrero Family Mexican Restaurant for alleged violations of the Wage Theft, Paid Sick and Safe Time, and Minimum Wage Ordinances. El Sombrero was a Seattle restaurant with 37 employees until it closed in April 2021. OLS alleged the restaurant failed to provide required rest and meal breaks, failed to provide paid sick leave, and failed to pay its employees at the correct minimum wage rates. The company settled the allegations and agreed to pay a total financial remedy of $105,034.61 to 37 employees and $345.00 to the City of Seattle.