With the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak impacting communities throughout the Northwest, the US, and the world, employers are preparing for a possible widespread impact to their workforce and, at the same time, trying...more
No sooner has Washington enacted two major new leave laws – the Washington Paid Sick Leave Law and the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave Law (WPFML) – than the State has found itself to be one of the epicenters of the...more
Beginning January 1, 2020, Washington employees will have access to the benefits of Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (“WPFML”) law, administered by the Washington Employment Security Department (“ESD”). Nearly all...more
As 2019 comes to an end, employers should know about important new obligations that will ring in their new year. Our Labor & Employment experts offer some guidance on critical developments in Oregon, Washington, California,...more
12/20/2019
/ Arbitration Agreements ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Definition ,
FEHA ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Posting Requirements ,
Severance Agreements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
Washington employers—and all employers with Washington employees—should be aware of Washington’s newly enacted Paid Family and Medical Leave law. Beginning January 1, 2019, employers in Washington State and out-of-state...more
Employers in the Ninth Circuit (which includes Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawai’i) can no longer justify pay differentials between male and female employees based upon...more
OSHA Seeks to Reverse Beryllium Rule For Certain Industries
Beryllium, a lightweight metal, presents hazards in the workplace. It is has been linked to lung cancer and Chronic Beryllium Disease, a debilitating lung disease...more
Following are a couple of significant new OSHA developments for all safety professionals to be aware of, relating to limitations for OSHA citations and validity of OSHA interpretation letters....more
Employers should remain on alert regarding the increasing trend towards more aggressive enforcement of worker safety standards demonstrated over the past year by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”)...more
On November 8, 2016, Washington voters approved Initiative 1433, amending certain sections of Washington’s wage and hour laws to impose two significant requirements on employers within the state: an increase in the minimum...more
On Monday, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a “Secure Scheduling Ordinance,” set to take effect in July 2017, that will place substantial limitations on covered employers’ ability to flexibly schedule workers....more
On September 19, 2016, Seattle became the second city in the nation (after San Francisco) to pass a “Secure Scheduling Ordinance” with broad implications for the food service and retail industries within Seattle’s city...more
If your company uses a class action waiver in your employment agreements and you are located in Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, or Washington, you are...more
Seattle restaurants and retail employers may soon face significant restrictions on employee scheduling. The Seattle City Council is currently considering a proposed ordinance with the potential to impact hundreds of...more
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, signed by President Obama on November 2nd, contains a buried provision with the potential to substantially impact employers. Section 701 of the Act significantly increases the maximum civil...more
Flu season is fast approaching, and this winter, Tacoma employers will join Seattle employers in being required to provide paid sick leave. On February 1, 2016, Tacoma’s new paid sick leave ordinance goes into effect. As we...more
The Washington courts are strict in their interpretation of the classification of individuals as employees versus independent contractors, resulting in many an employer discovering that an “independent contractor” is instead...more
Under the Ninth Circuit’s recent holding in Escriba v. Foster Poultry Farms, Inc., 743 F.3d 1236 (9th Cir. 2014), many employees now have greater flexibility to extend family and medical leave beyond the typical 12-week limit...more
The Washington Supreme Court has significantly limited non-profit religious organizations’ immunity from employment discrimination claims brought under the Washington Law Against Discrimination (“WLAD”), RCW 49.60. In...more
Seattle employers are about to become much more restricted in their ability to inquire into or act upon the criminal records of applicants and employees. On November 1st, the Seattle Job Assistance Ordinance, SMC 14.17, takes...more