Washington Employment Law

Washington state employers must post clear salary information on all job applications under the updated Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA) (RCW 49.58.110). The pay transparency law applies to any employer that does business in Washington state with 15+ employees and at least one of those employees is Washington-based. If your employer breaks the salary transparency law, you could be entitled to $5,000 in damages, as well as attorney’s fees.

Many employers don’t realize that their workers do not have to specifically ask for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Employees are not required to mention the FMLA when requesting leave. In fact, assuming adequate notice, simply verbally stating a need for leave is enough.

Many union contracts greatly benefit workers; however, unions sometimes fail to enforce the Collective Bargaining Agreement on behalf of their members or discriminate against individual members. If you are experiencing union issues or are involved in a union-related dispute, you may also wish to contact the National Labor Relations Board. This Federal agency administers the National Labor Relations Act, the principle law governing relations between private-sector employers and unions.

In the spring of 2019, state legislators overhauled the Washington state non-compete law, which up until then gave employers the power to restrict when and where their former employees could work.

The revamped Non-Compete Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, outlaws unfair non-compete agreements that target lower-wage workers by giving them a variety of new protections designed to unlock their economic potential.

Workplace injuries can end a person’s career or affect the most important aspects of life, including health and financial well-being. Affected workers deserve compensation, but are often unaware that OSHA violations led to their injury. An experienced Employment Law attorney will work with industry experts to determine this and more.

Businesses have an obligation to their customers to protect their personal data and inform them if something happens to it. Most companies will usually offer privacy rights violations and data breach victims free credit or identity monitoring for a year or two. In some cases, this is enough. But if a business loses customer data in a cyberattack and further investigation reveals it was because of poor cybersecurity systems, it could potentially be sued in a class action lawsuit.

Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) is a law that requires employers to provide paid leave to their employees that can be used for medical reasons or domestic assault situations. The law was originally passed in 2012 and has changed to include different types of workers and uses. Seattle PSST is available to any employee who works in Seattle, Washington and does not already receive a paid time off benefit from their employer.

Losing your job can be financially devastating for yourself and your family. Severance pay can serve as an important safeguard in such an upsetting situation. It is often granted to employees upon termination and is usually based on their length of hire with their employer. However, not all employers make this offer. If you have been denied severance pay or disagree with the amount that your employer is offering you, call Emery | Reddy today to speak to an experienced Intake Specialist for a Free Case Review.

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a form of discrimination that violates both federal and Washington state laws. Unfortunately, it is one of the most widespread and detrimental types of workplace discrimination and remains common in both small and large companies. If you have been the victim of sexual harassment, call Emery | Reddy today to speak to an experienced Intake Specialist and to learn how we may be able to help you with your claim.

The laws for hourly wages, overtime, and other related areas include both state and federal regulations, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Washington Minimum Wage Act, the Washington Wage Payment Act, and dozens of other statutes and regulations. Thanks to these laws, Washington state ensures greater wage and hour protections than what is granted to workers under federal law. If it is found that your employer willfully withheld wages, you may be entitled to double the amount withheld.

In 2022, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law the Silenced No More Act, which limits the use of workplace non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements, commonly known as NDAs. Under the new law, employees and independent contractors throughout Washington state can no longer be forced to stay quiet about certain unlawful workplace mistreatment.

Federal laws ensure that workers who experience retaliation from their employers after reporting, also known as whistleblowing, something that is unsafe, illegal, or unethical in their place of work are provided assistance.

Washington state law protects all people from discriminatory and unfair practices in the workplace. Unfortunately, many employers participate in workplace discrimination, sometimes unknowingly, against employees and job applicants.

Washington state workplaces abide by at-will employment rules, meaning an employer or employee may terminate employment at any time for almost any reason. However, a Washington state employer cannot terminate an employee for taking actions that follow public policy, such as whistleblowing to alert the public or regulatory agencies of misconduct within the company. There are also federal statutes such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These protections bar employers from terminating employees based on race, disability, and many other factors, or from retaliating against that worker if they file a complaint about one of those prohibited practices.