Seattle City Council Passes Domestic Workers ‘Bill of Rights’

The Seattle City Council unanimously passed a domestic workers “Bill of Rights” July 23 mandating that nannies, house cleaners, personal-care workers, and others must get meal and rest breaks as well as the standard minimum wage for workers in the city.

The domestic workers ordinance extends the municipal minimum wage to domestic workers who live in their client’s home as well as those classified as independent contractors. The Seattle minimum wage will ultimately reach $15 per hour plus cost of living adjustments. Domestic workers who are employees—such as those working for an agency that contracts with a household to provide ...