Seyfarth Synopsis: Seattle has significantly expanded its Domestic Workers Ordinance, creating new compliance obligations for entities and individuals who hire, employ, or place domestic workers. Approved unanimously by the Seattle City Council on September 15, 2026, the amendments introduce requirements related to written agreements, payroll and timekeeping records, retaliation protections, and advance notice of termination. Because the ordinance applies broadly to childcare, home-care, housekeeping, cooking, gardening, and other in-home services, hiring entities, staffing agencies, home-care providers, family offices, private households, and other organizations should assess whether their current practices meet the new requirements.

What Changed?

The ordinance applies broadly to domestic work, including childcare, home care, housekeeping, cooking, home management, gardening, and similar services. Importantly, the law applies not only to employees but also to many individuals classified as independent contractors. The amendments take effect July 1, 2027.

Written Agreement

One of the most significant changes to the ordinance is the creation of a new written agreement requirement. Before work begins, hiring entities must provide domestic workers with a written agreement containing detailed information about the relationship, including the scope and location of work, hours, pay rates and payment schedules, cancellation policies, expense reimbursement practices, classification as an employee or independent contractor, available benefits, leave rights, and other key terms and conditions. The agreement must also include a notice of rights under the ordinance and generally must be provided in English and any language the hiring entity knows or has reason to know is the worker’s primary language.

Recordkeeping Requirements

Covered hiring entities now have affirmative recordkeeping obligations. Hiring entities must create and retain records demonstrating compliance with the ordinance, including written agreements, hours worked, rates of pay, and leave information where applicable. Records must be maintained for at least three years. If required records are not retained, the ordinance creates a rebuttable presumption that the hiring entity violated the law for the periods and workers for whom records are missing.

Leave Protections

The ordinance now expressly protects workers who use paid or unpaid leave available under law or agreement. Hiring entities must provide all leave required by law and any leave promised in the written agreement. The amendments also prohibit hiring entities from interfering with a worker’s use of leave or taking adverse action against a worker for exercising leave rights. The definition of "adverse action" was expanded to include conduct that would dissuade a reasonable person from exercising rights under the ordinance.

Termination Notice

For the first time, the ordinance requires advance written notice before many terminations. Unless an exception applies, hiring entities must provide at least two weeks’ written notice before terminating a domestic worker’s position or services. Live-in domestic workers must receive at least four weeks’ written notice. If adequate notice is not provided, the hiring entity may be required to pay the worker for the notice period that should have been provided. Limited exceptions exist, including misconduct, agreed probationary periods, significant changes in care needs, circumstances outside the hiring entity’s control, and situations where the worker can no longer fulfill the requirements of the position.

New Enforcement and Litigation Risks

Finally, the amendments strengthen enforcement mechanisms and increase potential exposure for noncompliance. The ordinance establishes penalties for failing to provide required written agreements, maintain records, or provide advance notice of termination. It also creates a presumption in favor of a worker's alleged terms and conditions of employment when a hiring entity fails to provide the required written agreement. Likewise, where required records are not maintained, the ordinance establishes a presumption that violations occurred. These provisions may substantially increase litigation and enforcement risk where hiring entities lack contemporaneous documentation.

Interaction With Washington Law

Seattle’s requirements operate alongside Washington’s statewide protections for domestic workers under HB 2355. The state framework addresses baseline protections, including minimum wage, meal and rest breaks, retaliation, worker-rights disclosures, and enforcement through the Washington Department of Labor & Industries. Seattle’s amendments add local requirements governing the documentation and administration of the employment relationship.

 

Washington framework	Seattle additions
Minimum wage protections	Written agreement requirements
Meal and rest break protections	Payroll and hour record retention
Anti-retaliation protections	Additional leave-related protections
Worker-rights disclosures	Advance notice before termination
State enforcement through Washington Department of Labor & Industries	Local enforcement through Seattle Office of Labor Standards

Issues for Staffing and Placement Models

Organizations involved in placing or jointly managing domestic workers should identify which entity is responsible for each obligation. Relevant questions include:

• Which entity is the hiring entity under the ordinance?
• Who must provide and maintain the written agreement?
• Who records hours, wages, leave, and schedule information?
• Who makes or approves discipline, schedule changes, and termination decisions?
• How will the parties allocate compliance responsibilities and respond to complaints?
• Could more than one entity be responsible for the same worker or decision?

Practical Steps

1. Identify workers and arrangements that may be covered by the Seattle ordinance.
2. Update written agreement templates and confirm that required terms match actual practices.
3. Test payroll, timekeeping, leave, and scheduling systems for covered workers.
4. Revise termination protocols to account for advance notice requirements before a final decision is communicated.
5. Train managers, household representatives, schedulers, and placement personnel on protected activity and retaliation risk.
6. Review contracts between households, staffing agencies, and service providers to allocate recordkeeping, notice, and compliance responsibilities.

Takeaway

Seattle's amendments represent a significant expansion of domestic worker protections and place documentation, recordkeeping, and termination practices squarely in regulators' sights. Organizations, staffing agencies, family offices, home-care providers, and private households that engage domestic workers should use the lead time before July 1, 2027 to review agreements, recordkeeping systems, leave practices, and termination protocols.