On April 13, 2020, Washington Governor Inslee issued a proclamation prohibiting employers from engaging in certain employment practices with respect to employees considered high-risk under the proclamation. The proclamation, which remains in effect until 11:59 p.m. on June 12, 2020, requires employers to: (1) utilize all available options for alternative work assignments to protect high-risk workers (e.g., telework, social distancing measures); (2) permit high-risk employees who cannot take advantage of such alternative assignments to use any available employer-granted accrued leave or unemployment insurance in any sequence at the discretion of the employee; (3) fully maintain all employer-related health insurance benefits for employees who have exhausted leave, until they are eligible to return to work; and (4) refrain from taking adverse employment action against an employee for exercising their rights.
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