Washington State employers are eagerly awaiting a state Supreme Court decision regarding whether, under the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA), a “job applicant” must have a good-faith or bona fide intent to secure...more
In May 2025, the Supreme Court of Washington overruled previous precedent regarding the deliberate intent to injure exception related to workers’ compensation immunity for employers, finding that an employee may sue its...more
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
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
On January 23, 2025, the Washington Supreme Court held employers who pay their employees less than twice the minimum wage cannot prohibit them from working second jobs, subject to a few, limited exceptions. Employers who...more
In a case of first impression, the Washington Supreme Court interpreted Washington law regarding noncompete agreements to broadly protect employees who earn less than twice the state minimum wage from unreasonable...more
On August 20, 2024, Western District of Washington Judge John H. Chun asked the Washington Supreme Court to answer the question of what a party must prove to be considered a “job applicant” for the purposes of a pay...more
The Washington Supreme Court handed down a new framework last week on an employer’s responsibility at the worksite for health and safety violations. The Tradesmen decision results from two separate lawsuits involving...more
In response to last year’s groundbreaking decision by the Washington State Supreme Court in Martinez-Cuevas v. DeRuyter Bros. Dairy, Inc., the state legislature recently passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5172 (SB5172),...more
On November 5, 2020, the Washington Supreme Court altered a 60-year provision of Washington’s Minimum Wage Statute when it issued its decision in Martinez-Cuevas v. DeRuyter Brothers Dairy. The court held that the...more
On September 5, 2019, the Washington Supreme Court held that non-agricultural employees do not have to be paid a separate hourly rate for time spent on non-piece-rate activities. Further, workweek averaging, as described in...more
On September 5, 2019, the Washington Supreme Court issued a huge win for all non-agricultural employers who pay commission or piece-rate pay to their employees in Washington state. In a 6-3 decision, the Washington Supreme...more
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
The Washington Supreme Court held for the first time yesterday that obesity is a protected class under state anti-discrimination law (Taylor v. Burlington Northern Railroad Holdings, Inc.). This decision runs counter to...more