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Seyfarth Shaw LLP

10 New Bills Go Into Effect in July for Washington State Employers

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In its 2025 regular session, the Washington State Legislature passed 10 bills impacting employers that will come into effect this year. These legal changes affect compliance obligations, employee benefits, and protections...more

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC

Washington Employment Law Updates

A series of employment-related bills have become law and will go into effect in the coming months and years. These new bills contain some significant changes that will likely affect most Washington employers. Understanding...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Warning from the Lighthouse: Washington Supreme Court Elevates Informal Wage Directives

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In the ever-evolving landscape of employment law, Washington employers find themselves at the crossroads of compliance and litigation, especially when it comes to handling wage complaints. The recent Washington State Supreme...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Don’t Get Caught Off Guard: Top 10 Employment Law Changes in Washington State

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Employers operating in Washington State must take steps quickly to comply with a slew of new labor and employment laws passed by the Washington State Legislature during the recent session. These new laws significantly expand...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

You’ve Been WARNed: Washington Enacts a mini-WARN Law

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The new law applies to employers with 50+ employees (excluding part-time workers) and mirrors many federal WARN Act provisions, with some notable distinctions....more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Washington Amends Employee Personnel File Access Laws

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The Washington Legislature has passed a new law affecting employers’ obligations related to employee personnel files.  The new law amends RCW 49.12.240 and 49.12.250 in four important ways...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Waiver Goodbye – Continued FMCSA Preemption Of Meal And Rest Periods For California and Washington Drivers

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In 2023, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) under the Biden administration started accepting public comments about the many petitions for waiver that key stakeholders, including the California Attorney...more

Perkins Coie

Washington Supreme Court Denies Appeal of Meal Period Penalty Case

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In October 2024 we wrote about the Washington State Court of Appeals’ opinion in Androckitis v. Virginia Mason Medical Center, which held that the remedy for meal period violations includes three components: (1) payment of...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

The Fate of Hundreds Of EPOA Class Actions Await The Washington Supreme Court’s Decision in Branson v. Washington

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The Washington Supreme Court recently entertained oral arguments in Branson v. Washington Fine Wines on the following certified question from the W.D. Washington regarding the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (“EPOA”)...more

Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

Washington Employers Face Minimum Wage and Salary Threshold Increases

Effective January 1, 2025, Washington’s state minimum wage will increase to $16.66 per hour, a 2.35% increase over 2024. In addition to complying with the state’s minimum wage requirements, Washington employers also need to...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Washington Increases Minimum Wage and Salary Thresholds for Exemption and Non-Competes

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The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has announced the state minimum wage for 2025.  In Washington, the state minimum wage is calculated annually (and generally increases) based on inflation.  Effective...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

The WA Employee Free Choice Act – Washington’s Prohibition on Mandatory Employer Meetings about Religious, Political, and Union...

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Washington is one of eight states with a law prohibiting employers from holding mandatory meetings addressing their position on religion, politics, and union organizing.  ...more

Perkins Coie

Washington State Bans Captive Audience Meetings

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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

Perkins Coie

Minimum Wage Increase and Other New Requirements for Renton Employers

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The city of Renton, Washington, finalized rules to implement Initiative 23-02 on May 31, 2024. The initiative was approved by Renton voters in February 2024 and codified within Chapter 5-28 and Section 5-5-4 of the Renton...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Washington State Further Restricts Noncompetition Agreements

Effective June 6, 2024, the state of Washington will further restrict the use of noncompetition agreements. This article provides background on the current law governing noncompetition agreements in Washington and walks...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Washington’s Amended Non-Compete Law Creates New Considerations for Employers

Washington Governor Jay Inslee recently signed Senate Bill 5935 into law, amending and expanding Washington’s statute restricting the enforceability of noncompetition covenants (Revised Code of Washington 49.2). The amended...more

Perkins Coie

Washington State Tightens Noncompete Restrictions

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Washington state businesses that have noncompetition agreements with employees or independent contractors will be subject to new requirements under the latest amendment to the state’s noncompetition law beginning June 6,...more

Buchalter

Rounding Time Is No Longer a Safe Bet in Oregon and Washington

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The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) mandates that employers compensate employees for each hour worked. Nonetheless, the Department of Labor guidance permits rounding of employee time punches so long as, among other things,...more

Perkins Coie

Sick Leave Payout Rule for Washington Construction Workers Takes Effect

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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

Littler

Washington State Wildfire Smoke Rules Impose New Employer Requirements

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As many Washington residents are aware, wildfires, and wildfire smoke, are becoming an increasingly regular occurrence. The increase in wildfires has often led to days—or even weeks—of smoky air throughout the state....more

Perkins Coie

New Paid Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Laws in Washington State Effective January 1

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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

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC

Exploring the Implications of the 2023 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”) was passed as part of the December 29, 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, a new federal law that went into effect on June 27, 2023. This federal legislation requires covered...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

New Washington Law Regulates Warehouse Distribution Center Worker Quotas

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A new Washington law regulating employers’ use of production quotas or production standards for employees working at warehouse distribution centers (House Bill 1762) will go into effect on July 1, 2024....more

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission...

EEOC Sues Innovative Services NW for Disability Discrimination

Disability Services Organization Refused to Accommodate Employee with Disability, Federal Agency Charges - VANCOUVER, Wash. — Innovative Services NW (ISNW), a nonprofit providing programs for people with disabilities and...more

Morgan Lewis

Seattle Becomes First US Jurisdiction to Add Caste as a Protected Class

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The city council of Seattle recently added caste as a protected class to the city’s anti-discrimination laws. In doing so, Seattle becomes the first US jurisdiction to ban caste discrimination and the first in the world to...more

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