Effective July 1, 2025, Washington State will protect employees from coercion based on immigration status. Specifically, Senate Bill 5104 prohibits employers from exploiting a worker’s immigration status in furtherance of the...more
Effective January 1, 2026, Washington SB 5101 will require employers to provide leave and safety accommodations to employees who are victims of a hate crime or have a family member who is a victim of a hate crime....more
6/4/2025
/ Discrimination ,
Domestic Violence ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Hate Crimes ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Washington
Washington employers take note: Significant changes to the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WA PFML) law are on the horizon that will impact every employer in the Evergreen State. The bill amending the law, HB 1213,...more
It’s the season for legislative updates – and Washington State lawmakers are no exception. Job postings have recently been an area of focus in state and local laws. Two recent updates in Washington State impose new...more
As many Washington employers are acutely aware, there exists sparse statutory guidance on how employers must respond to personnel file requests by their employees – and no statutory definition of what constitutes a “personnel...more
5/23/2025
/ Employee Privacy Rights ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Legislation ,
Personnel Records ,
Private Right of Action ,
State Labor Laws ,
Termination ,
Washington
On April 25, 2025, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 1875 into law. The amendment will become effective July 27, 2025. The new law amends Revised Code of Washington § 49.46.210 to expand the reasons for...more
4/29/2025
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Immigration ,
Immigration Procedures ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Washington
On July 1, 2023, after a long delay, mandatory withholdings for the WA Cares Fund finally took effect. The WA Cares Fund is a state-run, long-term-care insurance program requiring employers to pay premiums through a mandatory...more
Spring has sprung in the State of Washington, and there are several new paid leave developments taking root. First, the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, which generally provides leave with partial wage...more