The phase in of the city of Seattle’s minimum wage ordinance began on April 1, 2015. Be aware that the ordinance states that it applies both to employers who are located in Seattle and to employers who have employees who work inside the city. For example, if you have a business that is based in Kent but you send a crew of two to service customers inside the city of Seattle, the City’s position is the wages you pay those two employees must comply with Seattle’s minimum wage even though your business is headquartered outside of Seattle. Further, to determine whether you are a large or small employer, the City will count all of your employees who perform work in and out of Seattle. The City does not consider driving through the city by itself as working.

This is an often overlooked provision of the law that will likely catch many employers outside of Seattle by surprise. If you have additional questions, please contact Joe Hamell at jhamell@mpba.com or 206.682.7090.