On May 20, 2025, Governor Bob Ferguson signed Substitute Senate Bill 5408 (SSB 5408), enacting important amendments to the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA). The EPOA has been a hot topic in Washington after...more
5/23/2025
/ Amended Legislation ,
Damages ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Ads ,
Job Applicants ,
Labor Reform ,
Pay Transparency ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Washington
The Washington Supreme Court recently entertained oral arguments in Branson v. Washington Fine Wines on the following certified question from the W.D. Washington regarding the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (“EPOA”)...more
Seattle continues to expand protections for app-based workers (sometimes referred to as “gig workers”) working within the City of Seattle with its new App-Based Worker Deactivation Rights Ordinance....more
12/27/2024
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mobile Apps ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Safe Time ,
Seattle ,
Wage and Hour
On August 20, 2024, Western District of Washington Judge John H. Chun asked the Washington Supreme Court to answer the question of what a party must prove to be considered a “job applicant” for the purposes of a pay...more
8/27/2024
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Ads ,
Job Applicants ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State Labor Laws ,
WA Supreme Court ,
Wage and Hour
Seyfarth Synopsis: The use of contracting arrangements is widespread; however, around the world, we are seeing trends suggesting this type of work arrangement may become more restricted, higher cost or higher risk to...more
9/11/2023
/ Australia ,
Background Screening Services ,
Contractors ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Foreign Jurisdictions ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Code ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wages
Just in time for implementation of the hotly anticipated Washington salary posting requirements, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (“L&I”) released its final administrative policy regarding the...more
Last week, Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries (“L&I”), the state agency that enforces labor standards, rolled out a new administrative policy related to employment relationships under the Minimum Wage Act (the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On January 1, 2021, Washington’s minimum wage will increase and will trigger the first in a series of increased salary thresholds for exempt employees, which will continue through 2028. These upcoming...more
11/11/2020
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Salaried Employees ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Washington Supreme Court refused to enforce a mandatory arbitration agreement that was contained within an Employee Handbook. ...more