Vote No: Proposition 1 will hurt small businesses, customers and employees | Opinion

Proposition 1, on Olympia voters’ Nov. 4 election ballots, has lofty and noble goals but will devastate small employers in Olympia and will create ethical and moral dilemmas for some industries.

While proponents continue to repeat that they are going after the billionaires and millionaires taking advantage of workers, Proposition 1 hits every employer without exception, including my small business.

Proposition 1 would create a $20 per hour minimum wage for work performed in the City of Olympia. Additionally, it creates many scheduling mandates in a one-size-fits-all approach.

As a small-business owner who bought a franchise license that allows me to operate a senior care business, Proposition 1 will cause significant harm to my business, employees, and the vulnerable individuals we serve. We provide in-home care for seniors throughout our community, helping them with their basic needs that allow them to live with dignity.

The definition of large employer in Proposition 1 includes virtually all small businesses that operate as a franchise. So, even if a small, family-owned business with five employees happens to be a franchise, they are considered a “large employer” under Proposition 1 and subject to the same requirements as large, multi-national corporations with thousands of employees.

The scheduling provisions, while possibly achievable for certain industries, represent a problematic and, frankly, ethical issue for industries like mine.

Proposition 1 would create a monetary penalty for employers adding shifts with less than 14 days’ notice, but not for canceling shifts. In our industry, as sad as it is, our clients pass away. When this happens, we do our best to ensure that our employees are quickly scheduled with other clients to ensure their financial stability. In this situation, Proposition 1 would financially incentivize us to give our employees no paycheck for two weeks. It would penalize us financially to give our employees a new schedule.

There is also a requirement to give existing employees available hours before hiring new employees. This requirement specifies that even if the available hours are more than one employee can work, they must be distributed to multiple employees. So, if a new client with dementia engages us for services and needs 35 hours of care per week, and we have seven employees currently working 35 hours per week, the law would mandate that we give each of those employees one five-hour shift with that client. That isn’t continuity of care; it’s unethical treatment of our client and chaos for employees.

These provisions, and many others contained in Proposition 1, make no sense and will do more harm than good for workers.

Unfortunately, neither businesses nor the majority of workers they employ were consulted on the creation of Proposition 1. It was written and heavily funded by several outside labor unions that are trying to run the same measure in Tacoma.

Voters will have the choice to vote for or against it, but they should be informed of the impacts the measure will have on small, local businesses that are the cornerstone of economic vibrancy in Olympia and the workers who depend on the jobs.

The City of Olympia is better than this confusing and rushed measure. I urge voters to reject Proposition 1 because it upends the definition of large employer and creates unworkable scheduling mandates that would increase the cost of senior care by up to 80%. Please join me in voting “no” on Proposition 1.

Alex Ketter is the co-owner of Olympia Senior Care, LLC, which provides in-home care services to clients in Olympia and surrounding cities.