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 Supreme Court has relaxed the evidentiary burden for employees seeking to bypass the workers’ compensation tort immunity that typically protects Washington employers.
- Employees may now...more
7/14/2025
/ Asbestos Litigation ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Health and Safety ,
Latent Occupational Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Toxic Exposure ,
WA Supreme Court ,
Washington ,
Workers’ Compensation ,
Workplace Safety
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
Starting in 2025, Colorado’s state minimum wage, which is adjusted for inflation, will increase from $14.42 to $14.81 per hour. For tipped workers, the minimum wage will continue to be $3.02 less than the standard minimum...more
12/26/2024
/ Colorado ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Reform ,
Minimum Wage ,
Rate of Pay ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
Oregon’s minimum wage rates are expected to rise on July 1, 2025, due to increasing inflation. The state uses a tiered system with three minimum wage categories based on geographic regions: Standard, Portland metro, and...more
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
In a recent decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit soundly rejected the notion that employers may escape liability for unlawful harassment by arguing that the alleged harassment is limited to social media...more
Washington state employers are now banned from holding “captive audience” meetings. So-called captive audience meetings are mandatory meetings held by employers during work hours to address activities protected by Section 7...more
6/28/2024
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
NLRA ,
Policies and Procedures ,
State and Local Government ,
State Bans ,
Unions ,
Washington