Washington state employers are now banned from holding “captive audience” meetings. So-called captive audience meetings are mandatory meetings held by employers during work hours to address activities protected by Section 7...more
6/28/2024
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
NLRA ,
Policies and Procedures ,
State and Local Government ,
State Bans ,
Unions ,
Washington
The city of Renton, Washington, finalized rules to implement Initiative 23-02 on May 31, 2024. The initiative was approved by Renton voters in February 2024 and codified within Chapter 5-28 and Section 5-5-4 of the Renton...more
6/21/2024
/ Business Licenses ,
Certifications ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Regulations ,
Penalties ,
Recertification ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Wage and Hour ,
Washington
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on October 31, 2023, that will help facilitate interagency coordination and...more
As expected, Governor Jay Inslee signed legislation that will significantly restrict the use of noncompetition agreements for Washington-based employees and independent contractors. The new law will also make legal actions to...more
Last week, the Washington State Legislature passed a proposal that, once signed into law, will significantly restrict the use of noncompetition agreements in Washington. We fully expect Governor Jay Inslee to sign this law,...more
4/24/2019
/ Confidentiality Agreements ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Governor Inslee ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Solicitation Agreements ,
Startups ,
State Labor Laws ,
Trade Secrets
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) applies to employers who obtain “consumer reports” from a “consumer reporting agency” for employment purposes. A “consumer report” is one that has information bearing on the...more
Washington’s Amended Equal Pay Act -
The Washington Equal Pay Opportunity Act will go into effect on June 7, 2018. House Bill 1506, signed by Governor Jay Inslee on March 21, 2018, amends the Washington Equal Pay Act, RCW...more
5/9/2018
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Local Ordinance ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Transparency ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Wage and Hour
The state of Washington’s new paid sick and safe time (PSST) requirements became effective January 1, 2018. They apply to all employees covered by Washington’s Minimum Wage Act. Employees who meet the “white collar”...more
2/15/2018
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Regulations ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Sick Pay ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a decision relating to the test for joint employment under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The decision upheld the Administrative Law Judge’s ruling that two entities...more
The Seattle City Council unanimously passed the Secure Scheduling Ordinance (Ordinance) on September 19, 2016. The Ordinance imposes new requirements on certain employers in the retail and food services industries for their...more
9/21/2016
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Local Ordinance ,
OCR ,
On-Call Employees ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
Although some states have long imposed personal liability on officers and directors for unpaid wages, the laws in both California and New York have recently been amended to address personal liability. This update addresses...more