Seattle Paid Sick/Safe Time: Ten Tips And Traps

Introduction

A Seattle ordinance passed in September 2011 requires all but the very smallest employers to provide their employees who work in Seattle a minimum amount of paid sick and safe time, or "PSST."  Stated most broadly, an employee who is entitled to use PSST may use it for absences because of:

• an illness, injury or health condition or the need to obtain preventive care (in each case, relating to either the employee or the employee's partner or family members);
• certain reasons related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking; or
• a school or workplace/daycare closure by a public official to limit health hazards.

The theory behind the ordinance is that workers who have no paid time off are more likely to come to work when they or their family members are sick, thereby spreading disease and prolonging illnesses and injuries.  The "safe leave" provisions of the ordinance recognize that workers without paid time off find it more difficult to