Seattle’s Independent Contractor Protections Ordinance takes effect (MyNorthwest)

Seattle’s Independent Contractor Protections Ordinance, which requires employers to provide independent contractors with disclosures before entering a contract and at the time of payment, took effect Thursday, MyNorthwest reported. The ordinance, which passed in 2021 under the SMC 14.34 bill, currently covers self-employed independent contractors who have no employees, perform any part of their work in Seattle for a commercial hiring entity and will receive or expect at least $600 in compensation from the hiring entity between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31. According to MyNorthwest, the ordinance also requires employers to provide timely payment to freelancers under the terms of their contracts. If unspecified, an employer gets 30 days to pay a contractor after the completion of the contract.