Seattle reaches $1 million settlement with Postmates over alleged violations of gig worker rules

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Seattle Times economic reporter

Seattle’s Labor Standards Bureau announced Wednesday that Postmates, an online grocery delivery platform, agreed to pay nearly $ 1 million to settle allegations that they violated the city’s guidelines on paid sick leave for gig workers.

The settlement came to $ 972,075, the majority of which is for wages arrears and damage to the 1,646 Postmates gig workers in Seattle, the city said in a press release.

The city began investigating the company last fall after many drivers claimed postmates didn’t pay them for paid sick leave, including violating the Gig Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time policy that came 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 into Postmates began months before Uber acquired the company in December 2020.

“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.”