BossFeed Briefing for October 23, 2023
Tragedy continues in the Middle East, you should’ve received your ballot for the Nov. 7th election by now (please register to vote if you haven’t), and Megan Rapinoe played her actual last home game Friday, sending the OL Reign to the next round of the playoffs.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK:
Keep it plain and simple: Applying for a job? You should see a pay scale and benefits listed in the job posting. A new state law went into effect this year requiring it. Some employers are missing the memo and finding out the hard way.
Toasted: $75,000 was recovered for Subway workers at locations in Burien, Renton, SeaTac, and Tukwila for violations of minimum wage, overtime, and tip pool regulations. Wage and Hour encourages “employers in this industry to review their pay practices and avoid costly consequences.”
If you live in Seattle, you probably have a degree: Seattle ranked number one in the nation last year for people over 25 with a college degree, closely followed by the other Washington (D.C.).
TWO THINGS TO ASK:
How much does your car commute cost? Washington State transportation officials are considering an increase to the current $10 toll fee cap, potentially raising the cap to $18. It wouldn’t take effect until 2025, to the left lanes of I-405 and Highway 167.
Haven’t we been here before? Some employers in Vermont are offering employee housing, considering it a business expense in a market desperate for affordable places to live. They say applicants for their jobs have skyrocketed, but is it wise to have your boss be your landlord? Sure you can walk to work and enjoy cheap or no rent, but what happens if you get fired?
AND ONE THING THAT'S WORTH A CLOSER LOOK:
Gig workers won, and now that it’s time for big app companies to pay for their violations, they’re throwing a fit about it. Instacart emailed its customer base lying about the Seattle network company fee that will fund the Seattle Office of Labor Standard’s enforcement of legislation that makes app companies treat workers with dignity and respect: everything from a minimum pay standard to paid sick time and deactivation protections. Of course Instacart is less than thrilled, so they’re insisting this is an illegal tax on groceries, despite the fact that groceries are specifically exempted from the proposed fee. Councilmember Herbold authored a refreshing takedown and reminds us all that these app companies didn’t care about working people then, so they don’t get to pretend they do now.
Read this far? Consider yourself briefed, boss.
Let us know what you think about this week's look at the world of work, wages, and inequality!