PayUp Legislation
Sponsors | Councilmembers Lisa Herbold and
Andrew Lewis
Background
“App-based work,” or the work that independent contractors do, such as on-demand food delivery, pet sitting, or grocery shopping is one of the fastest growing job sectors in our economy. This work has proven to be invaluable to many and it is important to protect the flexibility that app-based work provides. However, we need to ensure their workers are paid adequately.
Many app-based workers are underpaid, and sometimes, after expenses such as mileage, vehicle maintenance, and other business expenses are considered, workers may even lose money on a job. It’s long past time that these workers receive Seattle’s minimum wage plus compensation for business expenses including the miles they travel as part of their jobs.
App-based companies are reporting unprecedented growth and billions in revenue:
- DoorDash reported revenue at $4.89 billion in 2021 which is up 69% from 2020.
- Uber Eats reported $5.8 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2021, beating their own estimates of $5.36
- Instacart’s 2021 revenue grew 10% year-over-year to $1.65 billion. The company’s valuation is $24 billion, up from $17.7 billion a few months prior. It is rumored that it will debut and IPO in 2022.
PayUp Policy Package
The PayUp policy package is a group of bills being drafted and introduced by Councilmembers Lisa Herbold and Andrew Lewis that work to address the many issues facing app-based workers. The content below will show you the details of each proposal as the bills are introduced. More information will be added to this section as the bills progress.
Bill #1
Minimum Payment / Transparency / Flexibility




Minimum Payment
Provide or ensure payment of minimum wage plus expenses with a per-minute and per-mile floor for the engaged time necessary to perform each offer.

Transparency
Provide workers with information needed to make informed choices about which offers to accept and to verify compliance with minimum pay requirements.
Provide customers with information on the nature of charges, including amounts paid to workers and retained by the company.
Provide OLS with regular and routine access to aggregated and disaggregated company records.

Flexibility
Protect worker’s flexibility, including the right to freely choose jobs and hours, while maintaining companies’ provision of services to customers and third-party businesses.
Video Summaries
For more information visit https://t.co/MGhYxlH11l pic.twitter.com/kBvf53bXsA
— Lisa Herbold (@Lisa_Herbold) April 15, 2022
While many app-based workers are making less than minimum wage, app-based companies are making record profits. It’s past time we give app-based workers the respect and protections that every other worker in Seattle is afforded. This #MayDay, it's time to pass PayUp. pic.twitter.com/dDU627l4fz
— Lisa Herbold (@Lisa_Herbold) May 1, 2022
Legislation
Bill #2
Restroom Access

Bill #3
Anti-Discrimination

Bill #4
Background Checks

Bill #5
Deactivation

Bill #6
Advisory Board

Timeline
The Council has been meeting with a large group of stakeholders for nearly a year, starting in June 2021. As of April 2022, there have been 12 of these large stakeholder meetings. Stakeholders have included a wide range of companies that would potentially be impacted like DoorDash, Uber Eats, Rover Instacart, and others; independent contractors who work for those companies; Councilmembers and others.
Large Stakeholder Meetings
- June 9, 2021 – Introduction and general overview of policy proposal
- June 15, 2021 – Discussion of coverage of the policy proposal
- June 22, 2021 – Discussion of pay structure
- June 29, 2021 – Discussion of transparency and flexibility
- July 6, 2021 – Discussion of deactivation
- July 13, 2021 – Discussion of background checks
- July 20, 2021 – Discussion of restroom access
- July 27, 2021 – Discussion of anti-discrimination and reasonable accommodations
- August 3, 2021 – Discussion of enforcement
- August 10, 2021 – Discussion of advisory board
The Council paused stakeholder meetings during the Council’s budget process. The Office of Labor Standards conducted a review and proposed changes to the first bill which includes Minimum Payment, Transparency, and Flexibility. Additionally, stakeholders continued to meet amongst themselves.
- January 25, 2022 – Shared new draft legislation
- February 1, 2022 – Discussed changes included in drafts shared in the 1/25/22 meeting
Additional stakeholder meetings continue to take place separately with subgroups including marketplace-based companies, and on-demand delivery companies to address their unique concerns.
Committee Meetings
- July 13, 2021
- September 14, 2021
- February 8, 2022
- April 12, 2022
- April 26, 2022
FAQs
Media Coverage
- Full PayUp Press Conference - April 7, 2022 | Seattle Channel
- Proposed policy would ensure app workers are paid Seattle's minimum wage | KING 5
- Some Seattle City Council members lend support to plan for base wage rate for gig workers | KOMO
- Seattle council to consider new gig worker protections | KIRO 7
- ‘Long-term’ app-based delivery driver guaranteed wage push gains momentum in Seattle | MyNorthwest
- ‘Apps ramp up control to maximize profits’: Gig workers speak out as Seattle considers labor law | GeekWire
- Seattle seeks to raise pay and set labor standards for gig workers | KUOW
- Diary of a Seattle gig worker: car trouble, drive-thru battles, and no gray area | KUOW
- Seattle’s COVID-19 rules have paid off for delivery-app drivers. What’s next? | The Seattle Times
- Gig workers deliver message to Seattle City Hall about the need for a minimum wage - GeekWire
- Gig Workers Ask the Seattle City Council to Deliver a Minimum Wage - Slog - The Stranger
- Landmark Seattle Proposal Would Guarantee Gig Workers a Minimum Wage | South Seattle Emerald
- ‘Pay-Up’ — Seattle considers policy to boost ‘sub-minimum’ wages for gig workers | CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News
- New campaign wants pay standards for Seattle delivery app workers | KNKX Public Radio
- Seattle considers more labor protections for gig workers | king5.com