The first-in-the-nation statute that will require Washington employers to deduct taxes from employees and remit them to the Employment Security Department is finally set to go into effect in just a few weeks, and it’s time...more
A new law in Washington state aims to protect warehouse employees by setting certain requirements for employers and warehouse staffing agencies. HB 1762, which Governor Inslee signed into law on May 4, defines and requires...more
5/22/2023
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employment Policies ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Quotas ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Staffing Agencies ,
State Labor Laws ,
Warehouses ,
Washington
The cannabis industry is growing at a rapid pace given the proliferation of states legalizing medical and recreational use. Indeed, most states already have a comprehensive medical cannabis program, and many are rolling out...more
4/14/2023
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Drug Testing ,
Employment Policies ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
State Labor Laws ,
Trade Secrets ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Washington employers will soon need to include salary and benefits in all job postings thanks to an amended law that was recently signed into effect by Governor Inslee. Starting January 1, 2023, businesses with 15 or more...more
Washington employers are already prohibited from using employment agreements that restrict workers from disclosing claims of workplace sexual assault and sexual harassment – but will soon be unable to use nondisclosure...more
Answering the question Fisher Phillips recently posed to Washington employers – to deduct or not to deduct – Governor Inslee signed into law on January 26 the bills swiftly pushed through the legislature that delay collection...more
Adding to the sea of troubles that employers faced in the year just gone by, the status of Washington State’s new long-term care payroll tax is now up in the air. Employers in the Evergreen State are now faced with a dilemma...more
Washington Governor Jay Inslee recently amended an executive proclamation that imposes certain workplace protection for high-risk workers during pandemic, granting employers some additional flexibility that will take effect...more
The restaurant industry has been severely impacted by state shutdown orders. As states start reopening businesses, it is vital to know the applicable rules that apply to your location or locations. Whether you operate a...more
7/1/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Food Service Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Masks ,
Paid Leave ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries just decided to substantially raise the state’s salary threshold to meet the salary basis test for “white collar” overtime exemptions. As set out more specifically below,...more
12/16/2019
/ Department of Labor & Industry ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Minimum Salary ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Over-Time ,
Salaried Employees ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
By a unanimous 9-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday declined to extend California’s wage-and-hour laws to employees working on offshore drilling platforms subject to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (Parker...more
6/11/2019
/ Appeals ,
Choice-of-Law ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Enclave Rules ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Offshore Drilling ,
On-Call Employees ,
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act ,
Parker Drilling Management Services Ltd v Newton ,
Preemption ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Wage and Hour
Finding that “workforce mobility is important to economic growth and development,” Washington just passed a new law that will significantly restrict noncompetition agreements with both employees and independent contractors....more
Washington employers, get ready. Starting January 1, 2019, the state’s Employment Security Department (ESD) will begin collecting premium payments from employers so the historic Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program...more
12/14/2018
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Medical Leave ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Leave ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Washington’s lawmakers and regulators have not taken a summer holiday this year, remaining active by passing new regulations based on legislation from the last legislative cycle or reacting to new case law by creating new...more
6/28/2018
/ Amended Legislation ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Federal Contractors ,
Governor Inslee ,
Medical Leave ,
New Regulations ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Savings Clause ,
SCOTUS ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws
Washington employers are already under the gun to develop policies and practices to meet the requirements of the state’s new paid sick law that takes effect on January 1, 2018. Those with multiple Washington locations have...more
12/20/2017
/ Collective Bargaining ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Local Ordinance ,
Municipalities ,
New Amendments ,
Paid Leave ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
The past year has brought multiple new workplace laws that will require employers in Washington to change several key policies and procedures. Below is an update that provides a general overview to help you prepare for these...more
9/21/2017
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Medical Leave ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Sick Leave Act ,
Pregnancy ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Undue Hardship ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While it always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, the last few months have seen an unprecedented number of changes. April 2017 was another month...more
5/5/2017
/ Computer Programmers ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Drivers ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Facebook ,
Gig Economy ,
H-1B ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration Reform ,
Independent Contractors ,
LGBTQ ,
Misclassification ,
NLRB ,
Obscenity ,
On-Demand Services ,
OSHA ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Salary/Wage History ,
SCOTUS ,
Secretary of Labor ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Sovereign Immunity ,
State Labor Laws ,
Subpoenas ,
Title VII ,
Tribal Employees ,
Trump Administration ,
Unions ,
USCIS ,
Young Lawyers