The Washington Employment Security Department (ESD) has recently been auditing Seattle restaurants, resorts, hotels, and nightclubs and claiming that, under Washington law, their musicians (such as solo artists, pianists, and...more
Seattle’s new Independent Contractor Protections Ordinance (the Ordinance) took effect on September 1, 2022. The law requires certain employers to provide independent contractors with disclosures both before entering a...more
Governor Jay Inslee signed ESHB 2076 into law on March 31, 2022, making Washington the first state to require minimum per-trip payments, paid sick leave, and workers’ compensation benefits for rideshare drivers. The law also...more
Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law the Silenced No More Act (Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1795) on March 24, 2022, making Washington the second state in the nation after California to prohibit employers from...more
4/6/2022
/ Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Governor Inslee ,
Independent Contractors ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Non-Disparagement Provisions ,
Pre-Employment Agreements ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Washington
The Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) recently announced it will conduct an administrative rulemaking process related to the city’s new Independent Contractors Protections (ICP) ordinance. OLS will hold five virtual...more
Overview of ESD Audits -
The Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) audits records of employers located in Washington to confirm that wages and hours are accurately reported and to ensure compliance with the...more
10/5/2021
/ Audits ,
Best Practices ,
Compliance ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Independent Contractors ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Wage and Hour ,
Washington
More than thirty years ago, the Washington Supreme Court ruled defense counsel may not engage in ex parte communications with a plaintiff’s treating physician. Loudon v. Mhyre, 110 Wn.2d 675, 676 (1988). The Loudon rule, as...more
12/22/2020
/ Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Privilege ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Ex-Parte Communications ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Physician-Patient Confidentiality ,
Physicians ,
Privileged Communication ,
WA Supreme Court
Beginning January 1, 2020, Washington employers in industries including hospitality, retail, security, and contracted property services will need to comply with a new law amending the Washington Law Against Discrimination...more
12/24/2019
/ Covered Employer ,
Department of Labor & Industry ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Inslee ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Independent Contractors ,
New Legislation ,
Property Service Workers ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Worker Protection Standard
With the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) set to take effect on January 1, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed amendments in October 2019 providing businesses some temporary shelter from the CCPA...more
11/4/2019
/ Amended Legislation ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Collection ,
Data Protection ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Opt-Outs ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Privacy Laws ,
Privacy Policy