With the close of the 2025 Washington state legislative session, it is time to review the new employment laws and amendments that will affect businesses operating in Washington. Many of these changes take effect on July 27,...more
7/28/2025
/ Criminal Records ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Job Applicants ,
Layoffs ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Washington
Washington's Equal Pay and Opportunity Act (EPOA) is a hot topic in Washington state, with well over 100 class-action lawsuits filed under the law in the past 18 months.
In short, the EPOA requires employers to disclose...more
11/1/2024
/ Administrative Interpretation ,
Class Action ,
Disclosure ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Job Ads ,
Job Applicants ,
Judicial Interpretation ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Washington
Beginning in 2024, both Washington and California will prohibit employers from basing hiring decisions on an applicant’s legal marijuana use.
What Is Prohibited?
Effective January 1, 2024, employers are prohibited...more
11/17/2023
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Cannabis Products ,
Drug Testing ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Inslee ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Off-Duty Employees ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Screening Procedures ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
State Legislatures ,
Washington
California’s Civil Rights Council (the Council), a branch of the California Civil Rights Department, issued proposed revisions, earlier this year, to the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) regulations governing an...more
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance on May 12, 2022, regarding the use of software, algorithms, and artificial intelligence (AI) in assessing job applicants and employees. The EEOC’s...more
Washington Governor Jay Inslee, on March 30, 2022, signed into law amendments to the state’s Equal Pay and Opportunity Act (EPOA Amendments), which soon will require most Washington employers to include pay ranges and...more
4/4/2022
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Governor Inslee ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Transparency ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Washington
The Washington State Supreme Court recently held obesity qualifies as an impairment under the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD). The decision runs counter to other court decisions across the country finding obesity...more
8/8/2019
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Conditional Job Offers ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Obesity ,
Protected Class ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
State Labor Laws ,
WA Supreme Court
Recently enacted amendments to Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA) will take effect on July 28, 2019. The Washington legislature passed the EPOA in March 2018, expanding Washington’s gender pay equity law for...more
7/24/2019
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Governor Inslee ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour