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
Key Takeaways -
- The Washington state mini-WARN law, effective July 27, 2025, requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide 60 days' advance written notice of mass layoffs or business closures to the Washington...more
6/12/2025
/ Covered Employer ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Enforcement ,
Layoffs ,
Medical Leave ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Penalties ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Washington
On May 20, 2025, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law Senate Bill 5408 to amend the state’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA). SB 5408 makes significant changes to the EPOA, including by clarifying the...more
Key Takeaways -
- A new law in Washington requires all employers, regardless of their size, to have pregnancy and postpartum accommodations in place for their employees by 2027.
- The required accommodations include paid...more
5/29/2025
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Covered Employer ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Enforcement ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Pregnancy ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Washington
The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries announced that Washington’s minimum wage, which is tied to inflation, will increase from $16.28 to $16.66 starting in 2025. Many local jurisdictions have higher minimum...more
Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law Substitute House Bill 1905 on March 28, 2024, broadening the scope of Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA)....more
4/30/2024
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Governor Inslee ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Washington
Certain construction workers and other employees in the construction industry must be paid the entire balance of accrued and unused paid sick leave if those workers separate from employment before they reach their 90th day of...more
2/7/2024
/ Construction Industry ,
Construction Workers ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Regulations ,
NAICS ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Sick Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Washington
Multiple new laws will take effect in Washington state beginning January 2024, bringing changes to the state’s minimum wage laws and adding requirements under the state’s Paid Sick Leave Law. ...more
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
11/20/2023
/ Drug Testing ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Off-Duty Employees ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Screening Procedures ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
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
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2023-2 on May 17, 2023, to provide guidance to its field staff regarding enforcement of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act...more
7/11/2023
/ Breastfeeding ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Training ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement ,
Exceptions ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
New Guidance ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (“PUMP Act”) ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
State and Local Government ,
Undue Hardship ,
Wage and Hour
On May 24, 2023, the state of Minnesota enacted a labor bill (SF 3035) that prohibits employers’ use of noncompetes, effective July 1, 2023. The ban does not apply retroactively to noncompetes signed prior to July 1, 2023....more
The Seattle City Council became the first U.S. jurisdiction to identify caste as a protected class under its Human Rights Code on February 21, 2023, when it passed CB 120511, “An Ordinance Relating to Human Rights; Including...more
Multiple new laws took effect in Washington at the beginning of the year, including several that increased the minimum wage in various locations across the state. ...more
The Illinois legislature, on January 10, 2023, passed the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (PLFAW), which Governor Pritzker announced he will sign into law. Should the bill be enacted, Illinois would become the third state...more
U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act) into law on December 29, 2022. This combined legislation aims to bridge...more
As part of more than 100 new pieces of legislation, on September 29, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1949. Effective January 1, 2023, AB 1949 adds section 12945.7 to the Government Code to require employers...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
The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act (the CROWN Act or the Act) went into effect in Louisiana on August 1, 2022. The CROWN Act prohibits employment discrimination based on hairstyles and hair textures...more
Earlier this year, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law amendments to the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFML Amendments), which permit additional paid leave opportunities for new parents. The PFML...more
7/14/2022
/ Employee Handbooks ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Family Medical Leave ,
Governor Inslee ,
New Amendments ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
State and Local Government ,
Washington
Ohio’s new firearm law, Ohio Senate Bill 215, went into effect on June 13, 2022, permitting all qualifying adults to legally carry, possess, or conceal a handgun that is not a restricted firearm without a license, background...more
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act in a 235-189 vote. According to the bill, passed on March 18, 2022, the long-standing racial and national origin...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
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 Legislature made several significant changes to the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program during the 2021 legislative session that all Washington employers should know. First, as of July 25,...more