Double-click the employees name to edit information. 2019 Washington State Employment Law & Human Resources Conference. Given all of these changes, Washington employers are likely to need support in reviewing employee handbooks and other existing policies and implementing new or revised policies by or before January 1, 2020. Workers are protected by laws and rules covering workers' wages, working conditions, overtime pay, and prevailing wage on public works construction projects. Review your standard form agreements and employee handbooks to confirm whether the non-compete provisions are compliant. Workers are protected by laws and rules covering workers' wages, working conditions, overtime pay, and prevailing wage … WLAD provides broader protection than the ADA. Washington has also proposed a new draft overtime rule, which would increase the “exempt” threshold for EAP employees by more than 3x the existing thresholds over the next 6 years. Under the proposed rule, the minimum required salary level for exempt employees would increase from $455/week to $675/week for small employers (1-50 employees) and $945/week for large employers (51+ employees). Workers start paying for Washington state’s new paid-leave law in 2019. 2019 SPONSOR PROSPECTUS 2019 WASHINGTON STATE EMPLOYMENT LAW & HUMAN RESOURCES CONFERENCE MARCH 8, 2019 | SEATTLE SHERATON MARCH 7, 2019 VLS AND HR WORKSHOPS LEADING HR FORWARD. State Employee Salaries Download Data | Information/FAQ | Personnel Included | Specific Government Positions Note: Salaries shown are the latest final data available from the Office of … Eligible employees in the state of Washington will soon be entitled to take up to 18 weeks of paid family and medical leave per year. L&I handles safety & health, wage & hour, and some other types of workplace discrimination. Minimum Wage. Employment / Age Certification. What Are Your Rights When You Work for a Farm Labor Contractor? Washington Vacations: What you need to know . You can register for the FOCUS here. PFLMA goes into effect on January 1, 2020 and the Employment Security Department is busy completing all the rule-making. The law takes effect on January 1, 2020, and can be found at RCW 49.62.. 2020 has, of course, been dramatically different. Visit the COVID-19 info page for the latest info. Look for Jobs. Payday Requirements. This equates to the employee paying about 63% of the overall premiums and the employer … With the passage of the law, Washington joins other states, including more recently, New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, Each year, Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute provides its “July is the New January” report on labor and employment laws that become effective in the middle of the year. Additionally, any non-compete agreements longer than 18 months in duration after the termination of employment are presumed unreasonable. As of July 28, 2019, employers in Washington State are prohibited from collecting or seeking the wage or salary history of an applicant for employment. Disability Discrimination (ADA) Discrimination Laws. Jay Inslee announced a one-time payment of $550 to many recipients of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). If state laws do not agree with federal laws, employers should follow the statute that gives the greater protection or benefit to the employee. 5 Significant Changes in Washington Employment Law in 2019, What Employers Need to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccine, What Businesses Need to Know About Washington’s Roadmap to Recovery Plan, Create a Strong Foundation For Your Business Planning, Changes to WA Exempt Employee Salary Thresholds & Job Duties. Rest Breaks. As of July 28, 2019, employers in Washington State are prohibited from collecting or seeking the wage or salary history of an applicant for employment. What you should do: As the rule-making approaches completion, your company should: Join us on November 13th for our virtual FOCUS to discuss this topic in more depth. 1450, which, among other requirements, limits the enforceability of noncompetition covenants against employees. how paid family and medical leave interacts with other types of employee leave, including FMLA (if applicable), Seattle Sick and Safe, and other PTO. Changes have arrived for non-compete agreements in Washington State. Seyfarth Synopsis: Yesterday, May 9, 2019, Washington State Governor Inslee signed the “Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act,” which bans employers from asking about prior salary and will require employers to provide pay scale or wage information to both applicants and internal employees, if requested. The interplay between federal and state law is complex and requires both a depth and breadth of knowledge in the myriad technicalities of employment law as well as years of experience litigating these types of claims. The new law is funded by both employers and employees. The worker—according to Washington Labor Laws Breaks—must be at least two hours into the shift before the meal period can start. The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is the compilation of all permanent laws now in force. It is a collection of Session Laws (enacted by the Legislature, and signed by the Governor, or enacted via the initiative process), arranged by topic, with amendments added and repealed laws … What you should do: Train your staff on the new WLAD qualifications. An employer must allow employees at least one paid 10-minute rest break for every four hours worked. Employers must also disclose the minimum wage or salary for the position upon request from an applicant. The .gov means it’s official. On May 8, 2019, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee signed into law H.B. This year, the Washington Supreme Court held in Taylor v. Burlington Northern Railroad Holdings, Inc. that obesity qualifies as an impairment under WLAD and does not have to be caused by a separate disorder or condition in order to be a protected class under WLAD. Call or email us to find to get your questions answered and see about getting your documents reviewed and updated. Starting January 1, 2019, employees will pay 100% of the premiums for family leave and 45% of the premiums for medical leave. Location: Downtown Sheraton in Seattle. © 2021 Copyright Equinox Law Group PLLC | Privacy Policy. The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down many levels of government for varying periods of time. You can find more information on the new non-compete restrictions here. As of January 1, 2020, employers will no longer be allowed to put in place or enforce non-compete agreements with employees earning less than $100,000 per year or independent contractors earning less than $250,000 per year. Dear Valued Partner, In today’s business environment, business leaders understand that aligning their people strategies with their business goals is critical to the success of … On January 1, 2020, the “standard salary level” threshold will increase from the existing $455/week ($23,660/year) to the new threshold of $679/week ($35,308/year). On May 8, 2019, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1450 (HB 1450), radically altering the law governing noncompetition agreements and moonlighting prohibitions in Washington State. DCP Home; Retirees. In what has the potential to be the most significant change in labor law since the advent of the $15 minimum wage, the Washington State Dept. train all personnel involved in hiring on the new laws to ensure company-wide compliance. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site. While federal laws cover employers in all states, there are also state- and city-specific regulations that employers must follow. Washington State's Paid Family and Medical Leave – Washington workers will have up to 12 weeks of paid family or medical leave starting in 2020. Here’s how it works. of Labor is set to release a draft rule this week that will amend the rules relating to overtime pay, making a large swath of currently exempt salaried employees eligible for overtime. In 2019, we reported on scores of new laws that took effect last summer. The purpose of this new law is to reduce gender discrimination in pay, as women historically have been paid less than men for the same positions, which then could be relied upon by prospective employers to justify offering lower pay to female applicants than to male applicants. View more Workers' Rights forms and publications. On Dec. 27, 2020 the federal stimulus that changes and extends CARES Act unemployment benefits was signed into law. F700-067-909 — (06/01/2018), Publication in English-Spanish. TUMWATER — Changes to Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act will add additional protections for employees and job applicants.The updated law that takes effect on July 28 bars employers from requesting a job applicant’s wage or salary history, except under certain circumstances. determine what policies they want to put in place. July 25, 2019 #19-019. Change in Washington Law about Service Animals Starting January 1, 2019 Authored By: Northwest Justice Project The state legislature has found that misrepresentations of pets, therapy animals, or emotional support animals as service animals has made it harder for people with disabilities to get acceptance of their properly trained and essential service animals. Employment laws tend to come in waves, with particular themes for each era. Learn more on the Pandemic Relief Payments page. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. As of Jan. 1, 2018, employers in Washington State are required to provide paid sick leave to their employees. If passed, the proposed changes would most likely take effect on July 1, 2020. The threshold for HCE employees will increase from $100,000/year to $107,432/year. Employment law is ever-evolving, and 2019 is shaping up to usher in its fair share of changes. Originally published December 12, … Select Payroll Info tab, then click Sick/Vacation... tab. The bill will become effective on January 1, 2020, but includes provisions for retroactivity. The PFMLA law was originally passed in 2018, and employers have been collecting premiums since January 1, 2019. To do that: Click Employees on the menu bar at the top> Employee Center. We have the latest updates on Washington State Minimum Wage & Overtime Threshold changes here. F700-205-000 — (01/01/2021), Publication in English, F101-165-909 — (07/01/2020), Publication in English-Spanish, Overtime and meal and rest breaks for health care workers, F700-209-000 — (12/01/2019), Publication in English. notify hiring managers and HR personnel of the new rules. With these important changes, there’s no doubt that your Employee Handbook as well as policies and practices around hiring, leave, and minimum wage and overtime need review and updating. Under Accrual period, select Every hour on … View our blog post on this here to learn more about the new Federal Overtime Rule. train any reclassified employees on company overtime policies and methods of tracking overtime. Household employers need to comply with tax, wage, and labor laws that affect nannies, in-home senior caregivers, and other household employees. Employers begin payroll withholding in 2019. Mass Layoffs (WARN) Meals and Breaks. The proposed schedule would increase these thresholds annually, until 2026, when the threshold for all employers will be $1536/week, or 2.5x the minimum wage. Public Employees’ (PERS) Teachers’ (TRS) School Employees’ (SERS) Law Enforcement Officers’ and Fire Fighters’ (LEOFF) Public Safety Employees’ (PSERS) Washington State Patrol (WSPRS) Judicial (JRS) Judges’ Retirement Fund (JRF) Save With DCP. determine whether to reclassify affected employees as non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay or to raise salaries. Washington state voters approved I-1639 with nearly 60 percent in favor, and now, parts of the country’s strictest gun control measures will go into effect beginning Jan. 1, 2019. See the Benefits. Let me help you in setting up sick leave accruals for the new Washington paid sick leave law. be sure to review employment applications, job descriptions, and any other hiring paperwork. Organizer: Washington State SHRM. Washington state law generally requires an employer to pay nonexempt employees overtime at one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a workweek. Employers with 50 or more employees will pay none of the premiums for family leave and 55% of the premiums for medical leave. In most states, private sector employers are not required to provide vacation, whether paid or unpaid, to employees. Did you know that there are at least 5 new changes that occurred in 2019 that impact Washington employers, their employee handbooks and policies? Long ago, child labor was common and legal. Here’s how it works. Working for Washington state is work that matters. Date: March 8, 2019, 7:30am – 5:00pm. Employers must also disclose the minimum wage or salary for the position upon request from an applicant. Get Job Alerts. Washington Vacations federal, national and state compliance resources - regulations, laws, and state-specific analysis for employers and Compensation professionals. We invite you to learn more about these changes and what they mean for your business at our Year in Review FOCUS webinar on December 18th. Employees must be paid for all work performed at the rate agreed upon with their employer. Whether it's helping a vulnerable child, making highways safer or restoring salmon habitat, the work that we do matters to the people of Washington State. The state of Washington also has labor laws in effect regarding the issue. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Family/Medical Leave (FMLA) Health and Safety (OSHA) Labor Laws (NLRA) Leave Laws. Revise non-compliant agreements and employee handbooks to enhance confidentiality and non-solicitation restrictions. What you should do: Salary history questions can creep into hiring practices in multiple places, so your company should: To learn more about the salary history ban and pay disclosure requirements, check out our blog post here. On Dec. 27, 2020, Gov. The implications of these state holidays on public employers and private employers is discussed below. In spring 2019, the Washington Legislature passed a bill that restricts the use of non-competes in Washington and Governor Inslee signed the bill into law. There is no better place for HR professional’s development in Washington State than Washington State SHRM’s Annual Employment Law & HR Conference. The State of Washington has designated several days each calendar year as state holidays. Find laws and regulations pertaining to individuals, groups and employers served by Employment Security at the state legislature's Web site. Overtime. Washington offers competitive benefits for you and your family. Washington State does not require employers to provide leave or pay for holidays, vacations, or bereavement. Home. Washington Household Employment. The following list contains the national and state holidays recognized by Washington. Employees have new rights, and employers have significant new responsibilities under Washington's Paid Sick Leave law, which was passed by voters in 2016 as part of Initiative 1433. In 2019, the State of Washington passed a new law prohibiting employers from seeking the wage and salary history of an applicant. Occupations Exempt From Overtime. Most employers are aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but many may not be familiar with the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD). Child Labor Laws. We help Washington employees determine whether they have a claim against their employers. We have summarized these changes below to help you make a clear plan as your business heads into 2020. We are here to help! Call us. determine what impact this new rule will have on your employee base and financials. The rule is currently in the rule-making process. Employment Standards ensures that Washington employees get rights such as minimum wage, overtime, paid sick leave provided under the state's labor laws. Interested in sponsoring the conference? The US Department of Labor recently released the final rule amending the existing minimum wage and overtime thresholds for “executive, administrative, and professional” (EAP) employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Live in Washington. 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