CELEBRATING 7 YEARS OF SEATTLE’S SECURE SCHEDULING ORDINANCE!

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Seven years ago workers across the food service and retail sectors got fed up with being treated by our corporate employers as if we exist solely to serve at the beck and call of our boss. Having no predictability or flexibility at work made it impossible to live our lives — raise kids, have a vacation, be creative, enjoy other opportunities. So, we fought for Seattle’s first-ever secure scheduling ordinance, and today we celebrate seven years of a worker-won policy that gives us some breathing room. And thanks to the Office of Labor Standards, workers have held employers accountable to the law and put nearly $10 million back in workers’ pockets. Here’s to the next seven and many more!

“The principle behind secure scheduling is clear: workers are people. Workers have lives away from work. We all have a right to know when we’re going to work and how many hours we’re going to get. We’re proud to celebrate seven years of our nation-leading secure scheduling law that holds large corporate employers accountable to this principle and grants workers greater stability and joy both inside and outside of work.”

— Danielle Alvarado, Executive Director | Working Washington & Fair Work Center

How does secure scheduling work?

  • Employers must post work schedules at least 14 days in advance, and respect employees’ right to decline any hours not on originally posted schedules.

  • Employees are entitled to time-and-a-half pay for any hours worked between closing and opening shifts that are separated by less than 10 hours.

  • Employers must provide a written good faith estimate of median hours employees can expect to work and whether employees will work on-call shifts to new employees at the time of hire, and to current employees on an annual basis and when there is a significant change to employees’ schedules.

And more! Read more about the policy here.

5 Year Anniversary of The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights

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Celebrating five years!

Five years ago the city of Seattle set a powerful and historic precedent as the first city in the nation to have a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. 

Who is a domestic worker?
Domestic workers are those who provide paid services to an individual or household in a private home as a nanny, house cleaner, home care worker, gardener, cook, and/or household manager. These workers have been historically excluded from the same rights other workers have long enjoyed.

What does it do? 

The Domestic Worker Ordinance establishes:

  • Minimum wage for domestic workers
  • Provision of meal periods
  • Rest breaks
  • The right to keep personal documents.
  • Establishing the Domestic Worker Standards Board (DWSB)

Who made it happen: 

None of this would have happened without the tireless efforts of the Nanny Collective, along with worker champion Teresa Mosqueda, and our community partners Casa Latina, Hand in Hand, National Domestic Workers Alliance, and friends in the labor community!

La lucha sigue: 

The fight continues! Today, we celebrate; tomorrow, we press on to make this ordinance cover exploited domestic workers all over the state of Washington. Although Seattle was the first city to have such an ordinance, eleven states have also now enshrined domestic worker protections, and Washington must do the same.


How can I help? 

  • Follow the Nanny Collective on Facebook and Instagram! 
  • Donate to Fair Work Center and empower your domestic worker neighbors in Washington state.
  • Come celebrate with us! We’ll be gathered at Pratt Park (201 20th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144) on Monday July 1st from 5pm-8pm. Refreshments and activities will be provided! Children and families are all welcome as we mark this historic milestone.