On April 18, 2024, a jury in Seattle, Washington, determined that a not-for-profit hospital system employer would be required to pay nearly $100 million for time clock rounding and meal period violations, raising concerns for...more
4/23/2024
/ Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Compensatory Damages ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Jury Awards ,
Jury Verdicts ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Rounding ,
State Labor Departments ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Willful Violations
The Washington State Legislature’s 2024 legislative session adjourned on March 7, 2024, concluding a busy sixty-day period that saw lawmakers introduce almost 1,200 bills—on education, public safety, taxes, housing, the Lunar...more
4/9/2024
/ Certification Requirements ,
Data Collection ,
Equal Pay ,
Governor Inslee ,
H-2A ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Legislatures
The 2024 Washington State Legislature passed Substitute Senate Bill (S.S.B.) 5935 in February 2024, and Governor Jay Inslee signed the bill into law on March 13, 2024, updating and clarifying Washington law regarding...more
3/29/2024
/ Choice-of-Law ,
Contract Drafting ,
Contract Terms ,
Effective Date ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Governor Inslee ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Solicitation Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
State Labor Laws
Effective January 1, 2024, the minimum wage rate in Washington State will increase to $16.28 per hour for employees sixteen years of age and older, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries announced on...more
Employers in Washington are facing a flurry of class actions alleging violations of the state’s new pay transparency law. While it is too early to gauge the viability of the claims, employers doing business in Washington may...more
10/17/2023
/ Class Action ,
Damages ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Governor Inslee ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Job Ads ,
Pay Transparency ,
Posting Requirements ,
Putative Class Actions ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
A putative class action recently filed in Seattle, Washington, against a solar energy equipment company could be the first lawsuit to test the bounds of the state’s relatively new restrictions on noncompetition agreements for...more
The 2023 minimum wage rate in Washington State will increase to $15.74 per hour for employees sixteen years of age and older, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries announced on September 30, 2022. This...more
On March 30, 2022, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 5761, a measure that requires employers to affirmatively disclose in each job posting open to applicants the salary range or wage scale to be...more
On January 27, 2022, Governor Jay Inslee signed two bills that delay implementation and propose several reforms to the Washington Cares Act, which created a payroll tax to support Washington residents with the costs of...more
On December 22, 2021, Governor Jay Inslee sent a letter to Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD) ordering it to not collect premiums under the Washington Cares Fund program until the legislature addresses some of...more
On December 17, 2021, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, and House Speaker Laurie Jinkins released a joint statement announcing that the premium assessment under the Washington Cares Fund...more
In May 2019, Washington State enacted restrictions on the enforceability of noncompetition covenants. The law, which took effect on January 1, 2020, requires the state to annually adjust the income thresholds for workers who...more
In 2021, Washington established a long-term care benefit program for Washington workers called the WA Cares Fund. In short, the program implements a mandatory 0.58 percent payroll deduction on employee wages to create a state...more
As the delta variant (B.1.617.2, which is one of the genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2) fuels a substantial rise in COVID-19 cases in unvaccinated individuals, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated...more
As the COVID-19 pandemic enters a new phase in the United States and employees return to the workplace, some employers may need to face controversial issues regarding vaccinated and unvaccinated employees. Below are some...more
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance, titled Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People, on May 13, 2021, rolling back recommendations for wearing face masks,...more
5/14/2021
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Public Health ,
Social Distancing ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On January 25, 2021, the Seattle City Council approved Council Bill 119990 (also referred to as the “hazard pay ordinance”), which establishes $4 per hour COVID-19 hazard pay for grocery employees working in the City of...more
On November 13, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee issued a travel advisory for Washington State recommending a 14-day quarantine for all persons entering the state and encouraging residents to stay close to home. Governor Inslee...more
In May 2019, Washington enacted restrictions on noncompetition covenants, which we wrote about in our article, “Washington State Governor Signs Legislation Restricting Noncompetition Covenants,” and which took effect on...more
On June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s prohibition of sex discrimination encompasses discrimination against gay and transgender individuals. Justice Neil...more
6/17/2020
/ Altitude Express Inc v Zarda ,
Bostock v Clayton County Georgia ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
EEOC v RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Gender Identity ,
Hiring & Firing ,
LGBTQ ,
SCOTUS ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Orientation ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Title VII ,
Transgender
On May 14, 2020, the Washington State Department of Health, in conjunction with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, created new emergency COVID-19-related safety rules that farms must implement if they...more
Most readers are likely now familiar with the initial travel guidance for international travel issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since then, governors have taken the lead in issuing orders...more
On March 19, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law Washington House of Representatives Bill 2602 (HB 2602), which amends the Washington Law Against Discrimination to include a definition of “race.” The...more
New legislation recently introduced in the Washington State Legislature seeks to implement a 32-hour workweek for nonexempt Washington-based workers. If the proposal were to become law, employers would be required to pay...more
On May 8, 2019, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee signed new restrictions on noncompetition covenants for Washington employees. The new restrictions are effective January 1, 2020. Key elements of this new law include the...more