App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance
Rules: SHRR Chapter 240 (Administrative Rules)
Rules: SHRR Chapter 140 (Complaint Procedure)
2024 Notice of Rights for App-Based Workers
App-Based Worker Pay Calculator
Records Reporting Guide for Network Companies
On May 31, 2022, City Council passed the App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance, SMC 8.37.
This law is effective on January 13, 2024.
The ordinance applies to certain app-based workers (sometimes referred to as gig workers) and provides for several rights and protections for covered workers. Key rights include:
- Minimum Payment: Right to minimum pay based on the time worked and miles travelled for each offer.
- Transparency: Right to upfront disclosures of offer-information and right to receipt and payment records.
- Flexibility: Right to access the network platform without limitations (except for health and safety limitations), right to not be penalized for limiting availability or refusing offers, and the right to cancel an offer with cause.
Minimum compensation: Network companies must pay the greater of
- Minimum per-minute amount of $0.44 and minimum per-mile amount of $0.74
OR
- Minimum per-offer amount of $5
Rate Updates: Updated rates for the minimum per-minute, per-mile, and per-offer amounts are effective on January 13, 2024 and January 1 of each year thereafter. These rates will increase based on annual inflation and IRS standard mileage rate adjustments.
See below for advisory adjusted rates for 2025.
Note: The minimum per-mile amount will be adjusted based on the 2025 standard mileage rate, which is determined by the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and published by end of December of each year. The minimum per-mile amount will be announced soon after the IRS’ mileage rate announcement.
| Advisory Rates | 2025 |
|---|---|
|
Minimum Per-Minute Amount |
$0.45 |
|
Minimum Per-Offer Amount |
$5.20 |
|
Minimum Per-Mile Amount |
TBD |
Notice of Rights: By March 13, network companies must send their Notice of Rights to the Office of Labor Standards. Each company must also submit the registered legal name and trade name of the company as listed on their Seattle business license tax certificate as well as a contact name and contact information for the company. Network companies can send the required information to business.laborstandards@seattle.gov.
The Notice of Rights must be made available in the network company’s worker platform in English and the primary language spoken by the worker.
Translations of the Notice of Rights are available in Amharic, Arabic, Chinese (traditional), Japanese, Korean, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrigna, and Vietnamese on the App-Based Worker Ordinances webpage here or on the Seattle Office of Labor Standards Languages webpage under “App-Based Worker Protections” at https://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/resources-and-language-access/languages.