On May 14, 2024, the King County Council adopted a minimum wage higher than the state minimum wage (and some of the cities inside King County) for all employees working anywhere in unincorporated King County....more
Since 2017, Washington has required employers to provide paid sick leave to non-exempt employees to be used for any of several purposes: (a) the employee’s personal medical care, (b) to care for a family member with medical...more
Beginning June 6, 2024, a new Washington law prohibits employers from requiring employees to attend meetings which have the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion on “religious” or “political” matters....more
In 2019, Washington enacted a new statute limiting which employees can be covered by a post-employment noncompetition covenant, placing specific restrictions on such covenants. That statute explicitly excluded nonsolicitation...more
Effective May 1, 2024, nonexempt employees working within the city limits of Bellingham must be paid at least $17.28 per hour—a dollar more than the state minimum wage requirement.
In the November 2023 election, Bellingham...more
During the February 2024 special election, voters in the City of Renton, near Seattle, adopted a new minimum wage for anyone performing work inside the city limits of Renton, effective July 1, 2024....more
Per state statute, Washington’s minimum wage increases each year as a function of increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). Effective January 1, 2024, Washington’s Minimum Wage will increase to $16.28 per hour—up from...more
Generally speaking, employees who resign are not eligible for unemployment benefits. Washington, however, has several exceptions to this general rule in which an employee who had “good cause” to resign is eligible for...more
The lack of information about an employee’s Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) can lead to challenges when administering a Washington employee’s leave. Fortunately, a little help is on the way due to a bill recently passed by...more
Although Washington decriminalized recreational use of cannabis in 2012, employers in Washington have been free to deny employment on the basis of any evidence of cannabis use, including pre-hire drug testing, and even if...more
Beginning July 23, 2023, the ability of employers to search employees’ privately owned vehicles, even when located on the employer’s property, will be severely limited. Washington has just enacted a new statute that...more
Across the country, pay transparency is an escalating priority for today’s workforce and lawmakers. In both Washington and Oregon—where we have laws targeting equal pay—new compliance requirements and strategies are driving...more
3/9/2023
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If cash flow is tight, making payroll can sometimes be a problem. For Washington employers finding themselves in that situation and considering various options, there is now even more incentive to make sure that employee...more
In November 2022, voters in Tukwila approved Initiative Measure No. 1, which will impact employers within that city starting July 1, 2023. Items in the new measure include the following: What employers are covered by these...more
In Part 2 of our blog series highlighting some of the risks for employers when pay and time practices don’t comport with wage and hour laws, the case details and key takeaways below should provide West Coast employers...more
As we previously discussed in our August 2022 blog post, beginning January 1, 2023, Washington State’s Pay Transparency Act requires covered employers who post job openings that include a list of qualifications for a specific...more
As it turns out, yes, people do care about time. Two recent court cases highlight some of the risks for employers when pay and timekeeping practices don’t comport with wage and hour laws. We’ll provide overviews of each case...more
On October 20, 2022, the Washington Employment Security Department (ESD) announced that beginning in 2023 it is adding a 0.2% solvency surcharge to the current PFML premiums, raising the 2023 premium rate to 0.8%. This...more
Adelina Suarez was a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) who worked for a state-operated certified residential nursing facility for vulnerable, disabled adults in Yakima, Washington. Throughout her employment, which was covered...more
Per state statute, Washington’s minimum wage increases each year as a function of increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). Effective January 1, 2023, Washington’s Minimum Wage will increase to $15.74 per hour—up from...more
Beginning January 1, 2023, covered employers who post job openings in Washington will be required to include compensation and benefit information with the postings, pursuant to a new statutory provision added to Washington’s...more
Many companies have confidential information that they want to protect from disclosure to third parties or use by competitors. Often, companies also have agreements with vendors or clients in which the company promises to...more
As all Washington employers know, Washington employees who are nonexempt (e.g., not salaried) must be paid an hourly minimum wage. Additionally, Washington establishes minimum salaries for exempt (i.e., salaried) employees,...more
Beginning January 1, 2023, Washington employers with at least 15 employees will be required to include compensation and benefit information with postings for job openings. Currently, covered employers who have initially...more
Among other changes to the Washington Paid Family Medical Leave (“PFML”) program contained in SB 5649, effective June 9, 2022, when a newborn or newly adopted/fostered child dies, employees who would have qualified for either...more