Know Your Rights for Business Owners and Employers
The Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) is committed to supporting business owners, including immigrant-owned, and workers from immigrant and refugee communities. We aim to ensure their access to information and resources as a way to help improve their livelihoods and help spur economic growth in Seattle. One key strategy in this effort is to provide education and training for business owners and workers on their rights and workplace regulations.
On April 8, 2025, OIRA joined with the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) to host a virtual Know Your Rights Training for business owners and employers. This training was designed to inform business owners and employers about how to ensure compliance with existing immigration regulations and how to protect their workers and workplace. See video below
OED, the American Business Immigration Council, and Diane Butler, a partner and immigration attorney from Davis Wright Tremaine, offered resources and best practices for small business owners and workers. The training covered topics such as Form I-9s audits, Social Security Administration’s No Match Letters, and ICE Raids. A handout was created by Davis Wright Tremaine with general information from the training, and the City provided translation in the following languages to promote language access for Seattle residents:
A video recording of the training is available below and you can download the training slides. Also see our 2025 Know Your Rights resource webpage which is intended to inform and support community members, City departments, and community-based organizations, partners, and service providers who are working to support immigrant and refugee communities in Seattle and Washington state and help keep all our residents safe.