Articles Discussing General Topics In Washington Labor & Employment Law.

Washington Enacts Mini-WARN Act Requiring Notice Before Certain Layoffs and Closures

Washington will soon join the growing list of states that require employers to give 60 days’ advance notice to employees, unions, and the state for certain mass layoffs and business closures. On May 13, 2025, Governor Bob Ferguson signed

Washington is close to being the latest state to enact a “mini-WARN Act” that would require employers with fifty or more full-time employees to provide at least sixty days’ notice to the state, any union, and/or employees affected by a business site closing or mass reduction in force.

Washington Expands Covered Uses of Paid Sick Leave to Include Immigration Proceedings

On April 25, 2025, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 1875 into law. The amendment will become effective July 27, 2025. The new law amends Revised Code of Washington § 49.46.210 to expand the reasons for

Washington Expands Covered Uses of Paid Sick Leave for Immigration Proceedings

On April 25, 2025, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 1875 into law. The amendment will become effective July 27, 2025. The new law amends Revised Code of Washington § 49.46.210 to expand the reasons for which

Washington’s Amended Fair Chance Act Will Impose Additional Obligations on Covered Employers

Washington State has an existing fair chance law (discussed here) but the statute, as amended by HB 1747, will impose additional obligations on employers that consider criminal records when vetting job applicants or employees.

tgelbman@littler.com Wed, 04/23/2025 –

An online retailer was recently hit with the first class action under Washington’s consumer health data privacy law alleging that it used advertising software attached to certain third-party mobile phone apps to unlawfully harvest the locations and online marketing identifiers of tens of millions of users. This case highlights how

In response to abundant press reports of injury rates in warehouse and distribution centers, Washington State has joined New York and California in enacting a new law, House Bill (HB) 1762, regulating employers’ use of production quotas or standards for workers at warehouse distribution centers. The law takes effect on

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

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.

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 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,

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.

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

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.