Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to employment; establishing a hazard pay requirement for additional compensation for grocery employees working in the unincorporated area of King County from the effective date of this ordinance through the duration of the King County executive's proclamation of emergency for the coronavirus disease 2019.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The King County Charter grants the King County council the authority to act to preserve the public peace, health or safety.
B. This ordinance protects and promotes public peace, health and safety during the coronavirus disease 2019 emergency, proclaimed by the King County executive on March 1, 2020, by requiring grocery businesses located in unincorporated areas of King County to provide hazard pay for grocery employees, thereby compensating those employees for the hazards of working with significant exposure to an infectious disease and increasing retention of employees who provide essential services to local communities.
C. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared that coronavirus disease 2019 constituted a public health emergency of international concern, the highest level of alarm.
D. On February 29, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued proclamation 20-05, proclaiming a state of emergency for all counties throughout the state of Washington in response to new cases of coronavirus disease 2019, and directing state agencies to use all resources necessary to prepare for and respond to the outbreak.
E. On March 1, 2020, King County executive Dow Constantine issued a proclamation of emergency enabling extraordinary measures to respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. On March 3, 2020, the council passed Motion 15610, affirming the proclamation of emergency.
F. On March 23, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued Proclamation 20-25, a "Stay Home - Stay Healthy" order that closed all nonessential workplaces, r...
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