This month, we had an informative discussion with Steve Marchese, director of the Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS). 

Here are a few resources and highlights from the conversation: 

  • The goal of OLS is to come to a settlement between businesses and workers to avoid long lasting legal action 
  • OLS is aiming to better outreach to businesses by increasing funding and hiring outreach personnel 
  • OLS is creating more resources to educate businesses on labor standards with online modules and the ability for one-on-one training programs 
  • If you are unsure that you are following OLS guidelines, click here to find a multitude of guides and resources 
  • For quick and easy information about ordinances applicable to most restaurants, click here 

Felicity Barrett from Hospitality Health Insurance (formerly known as H.I.H.I.T) joined us to discuss how you can take advantage of its services.  

Here are a few resources and highlights from the presentation: 

  • Hospitality Health Insurance works with the Washington Hospitality Association to deliver affordable and flexible insurance offerings with statewide coverage 
  • You can choose from multiple Kaiser Permanente or Aetna medical plans and have access to dental and vision plans 
  • To be eligible for the Trust, you must have at least 2 enrolled employees, be a group headquartered in Washington State, and have 50% employee participation. 
  • To learn more about how you can use Hospitality Health Insurance, visit this link here 

Many thanks to Ivar’s Salmon House for hosting the Seattle Restaurant Alliance April meeting. We also greatly appreciate our monthly sponsor, Smithfield Culinary.  

Next SRA Meeting: 

The next meeting will be at 10 a.m. on May 3 at Rhein Haus Seattle, 912 12th Ave, Seattle, WA  98122.