The Washington State Legislature’s 2024 legislative session adjourned on March 7, 2024, concluding a busy sixty-day period that saw lawmakers introduce almost 1,200 bills—on education, public safety, taxes, housing, the Lunar New Year, octopus farming, and more—with about 340 bills passing and heading to Governor Jay Inslee’s desk for approval
Articles About Washington Labor And Employment Law.
Washington State and Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Leave Updates
The first quarter of 2024 has brought multiple updates to the State of Washington’s and the City of Seattle’s respective paid sick leave laws, addressing concerns for commercial construction workers, app-based gig economy workers, and any workers subject to a paid time off (PTO) program. Employers may want to take
Washington State Updates and Clarifies Noncompetition and Nonsolicitation Law
The 2024 Washington State Legislature passed Substitute Senate Bill (S.S.B.) 5935 in February 2024, and Governor Jay Inslee signed the bill into law on March 13, 2024, updating and clarifying Washington law regarding restrictive covenants (RCW 49.62 et seq.). The new provisions take effect on June 6, 2024.
Washington State Legislative Updates
The Washington state legislature and certain localities recently passed several bills affecting employers, some of which have already been signed into law. These measures address non-compete agreements, mandatory employer-sponsored meetings, immigration reporting, paid leave, and the minimum wage. Each new bill or ordinance is discussed below.
New Law Expands and
Washington State Wildfire Smoke Rules Impose New Employer Requirements
Washington State wildfire smoke rules take effect January 15, 2024. Employers must develop a wildfire smoke response plan, train employees on its use, and monitor jobsites for exposure levels.
As many Washington residents are aware, wildfires, and wildfire smoke,
Washington State Adopts New, Permanent Wildfire Smoke Regulations
On December 14, 2023, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) finalized and adopted new rules focused on protecting workers from wildfire smoke hazards that take effect on January 15, 2024.
New Marijuana Laws Take Effect in California and Washington on January 1, 2024
The new year is approaching quickly and employers must get ready for the new marijuana laws that will take effect in California and Washington. These laws are very different from other states’ marijuana laws. In our firm’s latest “We Get Work” podcast, Catherine Cano and I discuss what employers need
Updates to the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave Program
The Washington Employment Security Department has announced the Paid Family and Medical Leave 2024 premium rates and weekly benefit maximums.
Beginning on January 1, 2024, the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave Program’s total premium rate will decrease from 0.8% to 0.74%. This rate is recalculated annually in October, based
Washington State to Raise Minimum Wage and Exempt Salary Threshold in 2024
Effective January 1, 2024, the minimum wage rate in Washington State will increase to $16.28 per hour for employees sixteen years of age and older, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries announced on September 29, 2023.
Washington Employers Beware—Barrage of Suits Filed Over Pay Range Disclosure Law
Employers in Washington are facing a flurry of class actions alleging violations of the state’s new pay transparency law. While it is too early to gauge the viability of the claims, employers doing business in Washington may want to be on alert and may want to review job postings in
Washington State Provides Employers Access to Paid Family and Medical Leave Claim Data
Signed into law by Governor Inslee on May 9, 2023 and effective January 1, 2024, new legislation allows certain interested parties to have access to information from the Washington Security Department, the state agency who administers the paid family and medical leave program, regarding an employee’s leave including:
Type
New Growth of State and Local Paid Leave Developments in the Evergreen State
Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave Act has been amended to, among other changes, provide employers with access to claim information that may be helpful in administering concurrent leave and supplemental benefit programs. Washington Minimum Wage Act has been amended to require payment of standalone unused paid sick
New Washington Class Action Raises Concerns for Employers Under State’s Noncompete Ban
A putative class action recently filed in Seattle, Washington, against a solar energy equipment company could be the first lawsuit to test the bounds of the state’s relatively new restrictions on noncompetition agreements for lower-wage employees.
New Washington State Law Will Protect Job Applicants From Discrimination Based on Off-Duty Marijuana Use
Employers in Washington will soon be prohibited from making hiring decisions based on preemployment testing for off-the-job cannabis use or test results showing nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites in an applicant’s hair, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids. Washington’s new law, Senate Bill 5123, signed by Governor Jay Inslee on May 9,
Washington Amends Law to Protect Off-Duty Marijuana Use in 2024
On Tuesday, May 9, 2023, Governor Inslee signed into law Senate Bill No. 5123, which will protect prospective employees from discrimination in hiring due to their lawful, off-duty use of marijuana. With this law, Washington will join the growing list of states offering some workplace protections to workers who