News & Analysis as of

Employer Liability Issues Washington

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

Fenwick & West LLP

New Washington Mini-WARN Act for Mass Layoffs and Business Site Closures

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Washington is the latest state to enact a Mini-Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) law. Effective July 27, 2025, the Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act (SB 5525) imposes...more

Perkins Coie

Washington State Passes Law Broadening Pregnancy-Related Accommodations

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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

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

Fisher Phillips

Washington Lawmakers Cut Employers a Break for Job Posting Noncompliance: 7 Things You Should Do

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Washington employers will soon get some relief from the state’s strict job posting requirements after lawmakers unanimously passed a law to mitigate some of the more onerous parts of the key state statute. Starting July 27,...more

Morgan Lewis

Washington State Clarifies Its Pay Transparency Law

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The Equal Pay and Opportunity Act requires employers hiring in Washington state to publish in job postings a wage scale or salary range and a general description of benefits to be offered to hired applicants. The Washington...more

Fox Rothschild LLP

Washington State May Ease Pay Transparency Rules

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Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is considering a bill that would amend the state’s wage disclosure requirements in the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA) and implement major changes regarding potential liability for...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Washington’s Fair Chance Act: New Amendments Transform Employer Background Check Policies

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In 2018, Washington enacted a Fair Chance Act, requiring covered employers to wait until after considering an applicant to be “otherwise qualified” for the position at issue to inquire about or consider criminal history when...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

Fisher Phillips

Washington Supreme Court Significantly Limits Moonlighting Restrictions for Low Wage Employees: Your 4-Step Plan for Compliance

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In a first-of-its-kind decision, the Washington Supreme Court took aim at the ability of employers to prevent low wage employees in the state from “moonlighting” or otherwise supplementing their income during their...more

Stoel Rives LLP

Key Changes for Oregon, Washington, and California Employers in 2025

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As 2024 wraps up and we look forward to 2025, below is a summary of upcoming changes in employment law that may impact employers in Oregon, Washington, and California. Many of the following updates go into effect on January...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

Perkins Coie

Coming Soon: Judicial and Agency Interpretations of Washington's Pay Disclosure Law

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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

Perkins Coie

Washington Announces New Minimum Wages for 2025

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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

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

Perkins Coie

New Washington Ruling Endorses 30-Minute Penalty for Meal Period Violations

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In Androckitis v. Virginia Mason Medical Center, the Washington State Court of Appeals recently held that the remedy for meal period violations includes three components: (1) payment of time worked during the meal period;...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

Fisher Phillips

Washington Just Turned Many Non-Solicitation Agreements into Illegal Non-Competes: Tips on How You Can Still Protect Your Business

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Washington state law just changed in a way that might have made your company’s non-solicitation agreements unenforceable and illegal. Recent amendments to the state non-compete statute took effect on June 6 and significantly...more

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Washington Employers to Face Increased Limitations on Non-Competes

On June 6, 2024, Washington’s non-compete statute will receive substantial amendments affecting employers with workers in the state. Employers should review their employment agreements and personnel onboarding practices to...more

McDermott Will & Emery

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

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