On March 18, Burien city council passed a minimum wage ordinance. Your local government affairs team successfully engaged with the city council to encourage them to take a more measured approach that works for the unique community that makes up the city. The city council listened to members of the community, both employees and employers alike, and participated in a long stakeholder process.
The ordinance, takes effect Jan. 1, 2025 and splits employers into three tiers.
Level one employers will pay $3 above the state minimum wage, level two employers will pay $2 above the state minimum wage and both include total compensation. Level three employers are exempt.
• Level one employer includes all employers (including franchisees) that employ more than 500 full-time equivalents (FTE) in King County or franchisors who employ more than 500 FTEs in the aggregate.
• Level two employer includes all employers (including franchisees) that employ 21 – 499 FTEs in King County.
• Level three employer includes all employers with 20 or less FTEs. Employers with 20 or less FTEs are exempt from this ordinance.
We successfully advocated for the FTE counts to only include employees in King County and were able to include local franchises in the level two and three tiers. Additionally, total compensation (medical benefit or tips) was included for the top two tiers to meet the difference between the state and Burien’s new law. Finally, the Private Right of Action includes a 45 day right to cure for employers.
If you have any questions regarding this ordinance, please feel free to reach out to Skylar at .
