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
Articles About Washington Labor And Employment Law.
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
Washington State to Bar Employers From Relying on Off-Duty Use of Marijuana in Hiring Decisions
The state of Washington will prohibit employers from making hiring decisions based on off-duty use of cannabis or positive pre-employment drug test results that find an applicant to have nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites in their hair, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids. The new law (SB 5123) takes effect on January 1, 2024.
Washington’s Governor Signs New Health Data Privacy Act
Health data privacy, including in the context of reproductive health, was strengthened last week when Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed the “My Health, My Data Act” on April 27, 2023. See our summary of the law here.
Set to take effect on March 31, 2024, the new law aims to
Washington State’s My Health, My Data Act Sent to Governor
Since the privacy and security regulations were issued under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), critics pointed to the limitations on the reach of those rules. A critical limitation advanced by privacy advocates is that the popular health data privacy rule extends only to certain covered entities
Gig Workers Get New Protections in Washington
New laws in Seattle and Washington State allow certain gig workers greater access to traditional employee benefits.
Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Leave
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signed into law the App-Based Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance on March 29, 2023. Among other things, this law requires that
Washington Releases Draft Policy on Tips, Gratuities, and Service Charges
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) released a draft administrative policy regarding tips, gratuities, and service charge requirements for employers.
Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries Proposes Changes to Permanent Heat Illness Prevention Rules for Outdoor Workers
In 2022, Washington State’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) drafted permanent workplace safety rules aimed at protecting workers from outdoor heat exposure. On March 21, 2023, L&I filed proposed updates to the rule that would broaden the protections for outdoor workers in Washington. This continued evolution of heat illness