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It appears this is no longer the case: https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2018/4/3/seattle-employers-must-now-pay-people-with-disabilities-minimum-wage https:

It appears this is no longer the case: https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2018/4/3/seattle-employers-must-now-pay-people-with-disabilities-minimum-wage https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2018/4/3/seattle-employe... >City officials adopted the language for subminimum wage for people with disabilities in 2015 in its minimum wage law. That language had been modeled off the State Minimum Wage Act, which allows for “special certificates” that can be issued if someone has a disability. >In September, the Seattle Office of Labor Standards stopped issuing those certificates based on the director’s rules. The bill, which passed through council member Teresa Mosqueda’s committee late March, officially changed the code to remove the option altogether. The nonprofit that got fined was due to their underpaying workers without the previously-necessary certificate.

atdrummond 8y ago
I'm not quite sure why my reply attracted such significant attention but a few things: 1. There are loopholes around paying minimum wage that are separate from the core subminimum wage legislation. The sheltered workshop exemption is federal disability law. If the location uses this exemption, then they can employ the workers as contractors and the federal law applies. (If not using the sheltered workshop exemption, such contracted workers must be paid $10.35 per hour.) 2. My understanding is that Amazon started this program before the 2015 reform and has expanded its scope over the years. 3. I didn't mean to imply Amazon paid subminimum wage, as I don't know the wages. (Although the quote in the story is unclear as to whether the minimum wage being referred to is the shelter exemption rate or Seattle's minimum.) My main intent (as a former Seattle tech founder) was to relay the disappointing background of their partner. I was not attacking the integrity of the program and apologize it came off that way.

atdrummond 8y ago

I'm not quite sure why my reply attracted such significant attention but a few things: 1. There are loopholes around paying minimum wage that are separate from the core subminimum wage legislation. The sheltered workshop exemption is federal disability law. If the location uses this exemption, then they can employ the workers as contractors and the federal law applies. (If not using the sheltered workshop exemption, such contracted workers must be paid $10.35 per hour.) 2. My understanding is that Amazon started this program before the 2015 reform and has expanded its scope over the years. 3. I didn't mean to imply Amazon paid subminimum wage, as I don't know the wages. (Although the quote in the story is unclear as to whether the minimum wage being referred to is the shelter exemption rate or Seattle's minimum.) My main intent (as a former Seattle tech founder) was to relay the disappointing background of their partner. I was not attacking the integrity of the program and apologize it came off that way.