Washington expanded the covered uses and definition of a family member under Washington’s paid sick leave law effective January 1, 2025. Under Washington’s paid sick leave law employers must provide non-exempt employees with...more
3/21/2025
/ Compliance ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Policies ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Sick Leave ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Washington State has enacted significant employment laws that have or will come into effect in 2024 and 2025. These laws introduce new requirements and protections for employees across various industries. This update provides...more
The Washington Employment Security Department has announced the Paid Family and Medical Leave 2025 premium rates and weekly benefit maximums. Beginning on January 1, 2025, the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave...more
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...more
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...more
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...more
Washington’s Silenced No More Act limits all Washington employers’ use of nondisclosure and nondisparagement provisions in employment agreements.
The Act (codified as RCW 49.44.211) makes it illegal for employers in an...more
The Washington State Legislature has again amended the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Act. This amendment is effective June 9, 2022. Here is a list of the most significant changes to the law:...more
The Washington legislature has passed the “Silenced No More Act,” which would limit all Washington employers’ use of nondisclosure and nondisparagement provisions in employment agreements....more
3/22/2022
/ Confidential Information ,
Discrimination ,
Governor Inslee ,
Harassment ,
Independent Contractors ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Non-Disparagement Provisions ,
Pre-Employment Agreements ,
Sexual Assault ,
Washington
The Washington State Legislature has temporarily amended the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Act to create pandemic leave assistance grants for certain employees and employers. Employees and employers cannot...more
While some say “COVID-19 has changed everything,” a couple of issues for real estate employers are unchanged. First, in the brokerage world, properly classifying agents as independent contractors, instead of employees,...more
3/1/2021
/ ABC Test ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Independent Contractors ,
Licenses ,
Misclassification ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Real Estate Agents ,
Real Estate Brokers ,
Remote Working ,
Sales ,
Written Agreements
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued Proclamation 20-83, which creates a mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for travelers into the state from certain countries, including...more
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee’s new amended COVID-19 Proclamation extended and modified his recent rollback of the reopening rules in the state. The modifications went into effect immediately and are set to expire at...more
To address the spread of COVID-19, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has rolled back some of the phased reopening rules in this state. The new amended Proclamation and accompanying guidance mandate several statewide...more
11/18/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Governor Inslee ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Public Gatherings ,
Public Health ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Social Distancing ,
Workplace Safety
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued a new Proclamation that extends until 11:59 p.m. on August 1, 2020, the job protections in place for “high-risk” Washington employees. The job protections were to expire at...more
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued a Proclamation extending various job protections to “high-risk” Washington employees. The Proclamation protects (1) any individual aged 65 or older, (2) anyone living in a...more
Under Seattle’s Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) law, an employer normally may require verification (including a doctor’s note) for the use of PSST after three consecutive workdays in which the employee uses paid sick/safe...more
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued a new Proclamation extending his previous Stay Home – Stay Healthy Proclamation that restricted certain social and recreational activities, closed non-essential businesses, and...more
Washington State Governor Inslee has announced the state has released new guidance for enforcement of his Stay Home — Stay Healthy Proclamation.
The Proclamation temporarily prohibits individuals from leaving their home...more
On March 26, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law amendments to the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. The significant changes are as follows:
•Lawsuits
•The WPFMLA now includes a private right of action...more
Following the guidance of Idaho’s public health experts, Governor Brad Little has issued a statewide self-isolation order (that is, stay at home) in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Order became effective...more
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued a Stay Home – Stay Healthy Proclamation that restricts certain social and recreational activities, closes non-essential businesses, and requires social distancing at essential...more
Effective March 18, 2020, the Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) Ordinance allows eligible employees working in Seattle to use PSST when their family member’s school or place of care is closed, regardless of whether such...more
The state of Washington has weighed in on the debate as to whether obesity is a disability under disability discrimination laws. In Taylor v. Burlington Northern Railroad Holdings Inc., a case that wound its way through the...more
Responding to the national “#MeToo” movement, Washington has enacted laws to protect victims of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace by barring nondisclosure agreements as a condition of employment and contracts...more