Seattle City Wire

The Office of Labor Standards (OLS) announces the settlement with Northgate Inns Inc. dba Hotel Nexus and its owners for alleged violations of the Wage Theft, Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST), Protecting Hotel Employees from Injury, and Hotel Employees Safety Protections Ordinances. Hotel Nexus and its owners settled the allegations and agreed to pay a total financial remedy of $218,194.75 to 154 affected workers in back wages, interest, liquidated damages, civil penalties, and fines, and $535 to the City of Seattle in fines.

Under the Wage Theft Ordinance, OLS alleged Hotel Nexus:

• Failed to pay employees for vacation balances upon separation, despite its written policy to do so;
• Did not always permit employees to take compliant meal breaks; and
• Occasionally modified employee time clock records without explanation, resulting in fewer hours paid to employees than initially reflected in the employee’s time clock punches.

Under the Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance, OLS alleged Hotel Nexus:

• Did not have a sufficient written policy regarding PSST and
• Failed to pay one employee when the employee requested to use PSST.

Under the Protecting Hotel Employees from Injury Ordinance, OLS alleged Hotel Nexus:

• Was not correctly calculating payments for cleanings beyond the maximum floor space for a period of time, and
• Failed to obtain consent to clean beyond the maximum floor space when the ordinance first went into effect.

Finally, under the Hotel Employee Safety Protections Ordinance, OLS alleged Hotel Nexus:

• Did not have a written policy against violent or harassing conduct by guests.

“Workers in the hotel industry in Seattle have protected rights. It’s important settlements like this one are shared with the public so workers can come to us for assistance and to put hotel business owners on notice that alleged violations of Seattle labor standards will be investigated,” said Steven Marchese, OLS Director.

Hotel Nexus and its owners agreed to attend a management training regarding Seattle’s labor standards and, during the investigation, updated their PSST policy, written policy against violent or harassing conduct by guests, policy for receiving employee consent to clean beyond the maximum floor space, policy and procedure regarding meal breaks, and method of calculations for payments for cleanings beyond the maximum floor space.

Hotel Nexus is a hotel in Seattle with approximately 50-100 employees. It is part of 360 Degree Hotel Group that owns and operates six hotels in the Puget Sound region.

To learn more about Seattle’s Hotel Employee Protections please click here or contact the Office of Labor Standards at http://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards or call 206-256-5297.

• Help for workers and the public: to ask a question, file a complaint, or provide information, call 206-256-5297, email laborstandards@seattle.gov, or click here to fill out a web form.
• Help for employers: for free and private assistance for compliance with Seattle’s labor standards, call 206-256-5297, email laborstandards@seattle.gov or click here to fill out an employer inquiry form.

Original source can be found here.