Paid sick, safe time now permanent for Seattle app-based workers

Seattle turned the primary metropolis within the nation to implement everlasting paid sick and secure time advantages for app-based gig staff.

The town council, anchored by Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda and Mayor Bruce Harrell, handed Council Invoice 120514 by a unanimous 9-0 vote Tuesday.

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Seattle initially handed a short lived legislation in 2020 to grant sick and secure time to app-based staff, however the non permanent advantages have been set to run out in April with the conclusion of the town’s pandemic-based emergency order.

“We wish to guarantee everybody has the time to get effectively, get better, and assist members of their household after they’re ailing – whether or not you ship dinner, drop off laundry, or present any service on these apps,” Mosqueda mentioned. “Staff shouldn’t have to decide on between staying residence to take care of themselves or their family members and dropping a day’s earnings. Now in case you really feel sick, you may keep residence and get better knowing you’ll nonetheless have your day’s wages to place meals on the desk or pay the mortgage.

“Paid sick and secure go away isn’t simply the fitting factor to do for people, it’s additionally vitally necessary to guard public well being,” Mosqueda continued. “Over the past three years of the pandemic, we’ve realized {that a} robust sick go away coverage is important for a wholesome group and a wholesome economic system.”

The invoice applies to firms with a minimum of 250 app-based workers.

With the passing of this legislation, staff will accrue someday of sick go away for each 30 days labored, so long as a part of their work within the given month happens inside Seattle.

“A wholesome workforce results in a wholesome group, and no one ought to have to decide on between taking a sick day to take care of themselves – or their households – and making lease,” Harrell mentioned. “Gig staff stepped as much as serve our metropolis in the course of the pandemic and are an important a part of our workforce and economic system, and this necessary laws ensures the rights of our app-based staff stay protected.”

Seattle continues to cleared the path for rights within the office amongst app-based workers. Final yr, the town handed a first-of-its-kind laws, coined PayUp, that ensures app-based supply drivers a minimal wage whereas defending employment flexibility.

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The legislation goes into impact Might 1 for meals supply firms. Paid sick and secure time advantages shall be obtainable to the opposite app-based staff lined within the laws on Jan. 13, 2024. 

“Gig staff in Seattle are dealing with severe bother, and everlasting paid sick and secure time would assist us gig staff have some reliability to take care of the issues that may come up in our lives,” mentioned Wei Lin, a gig employee for Gopuff and member of the PayUp marketing campaign, in the course of the metropolis council assembly. “I recognize what the Seattle Metropolis Council has performed to deal with this challenge in order that I will be there for the individuals I care about.”