Postmates to pay $1 million to Seattle gig workers in settlement | Northwest

SEATTLE – Online grocery delivery platform Postmates has agreed to pay nearly $ 1 million to settle allegations that they violated the city’s guidelines on paid sick leave for gig workers, Seattle’s Office of Labor Standards said.

The city said in a press release that most of the money will be used for wage repayments and damage to the 1,646 Postmates gig workers in Seattle, the Seattle Times reported.

The city began the investigation last fall after drivers claimed postmates did not pay them for paid sick days under the city’s Gig Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time policy, which went into effect in July 2020.

“For years couriers have given us many perks that we need and should have received from the start,” said Shawn W. Gray, a Postmates driver, on the city’s news release.

The investigation began months before Uber took over Postmates in December.

“We appreciate the close coordination of the Office of Labor Standards with us to resolve outstanding issues,” said Zahid Arab, a public affairs manager at Uber, in the press release. “We worked tirelessly to ensure that the Postmates platform employees got the paid sickness and safe time they deserve.”