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By: Scott Prange

Seyfarth Synopsis: Washington’s health care employers have spent years navigating tighter and tighter restrictions on noncompetes—but under HB 1155, the state has decided to largely eliminate them altogether. Beginning June 30, 2027, physician and provider noncompetes will be largely void, and the law may extend far beyond traditional restrictive covenants to scrutinize compensation terms that penalize…

Continue Reading Washington’s Noncompete Ban Is Coming. Health care Employers Should Start Panicking (Just a Little).

By: Jacob J. Roes and Kyle D. Nelson

In the ever-evolving landscape of employment law, Washington employers find themselves at the crossroads of compliance and litigation, especially when it comes to handling wage complaints. The recent Washington State Supreme Court opinion involving Cannabis Green, LLC, sheds light on the intricate dance between employers and the Department of Labor and Industries…

Continue Reading Warning from the Lighthouse: Washington Supreme Court Elevates Informal Wage Directives

By: Charlotte Hodde and Josh Goldberg

Some Washington healthcare employers will be subject to new rules for meal and rest break starting next year. Moving forward, under RCW 49.12.480, there are new hoops employers must jump through in order to secure waivers for certain meal and break time requirements, which means updates to handbook policies and the waiver form.

Under…

Continue Reading New Rules for Waiving Meal Breaks in Washington Health Care Facilities

By Helen M. McFarland and Jacob J. Roes

Seyfarth Synopsis: On August 20, 2024, Western District of Washington Judge John H. Chun asked the Washington Supreme Court to answer the question of what a party must prove to be considered a “job applicant” for the purposes of a pay transparency claim under the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA). …

Continue Reading Much Needed Clarity May Finally Be Coming on Who Qualifies as a Job Applicant Under the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act

By: Lauren Parris Watts, Lisa Nichols, and Patrick Joyce

Seyfarth Synopsis: In light of the record-breaking heat wave, Washington state announced new emergency rules to provide outdoor workers with additional protections from heat exposure. These rules update the existing Outdoor Heat Exposure mandates, and are in effect as of July 13, 2021.

On July 9, 2021, Washington announced…
Continue Reading Washington State Mandates Additional Protections For Outdoor Workers

By: Lisa Lehmann Nichols and Helen McFarland

On November 15, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee again amended his previously issued Proclamation 20-25, which proclaimed a state of emergency associated with the spread of COVID-19.  Proclamation 20-25.8 rolls back county-by-county phased reopenings in response to the dangerous spikes of COVID-19 cases per day in Washington.

How long will this proclamation …
Continue Reading State of Emergency Declared in Washington State Due to Spread of COVID-19

By Megan P. Toth and Erin Dougherty Foley

Seyfarth Synopsis: The Washington State Office of the Attorney General has recently published a Guide outlining pregnant employees’ civil rights under the Washington “Healthy Starts Act,” a law which became effective July 23, 2017.

Under the Healthy Starts Act, employers with at least 15 employees in the state of Washington…
Continue Reading Washington State Releases Guide on Pregnancy Accommodations

By Joshua D. Seidman and Tracy M. Billows

Seyfarth Synopsis: As expected, on November 8, 2016, residents in Washington and Arizona voted on and passed the nation’s sixth and seventh statewide mandatory paid sick leave laws.

The 2016 election will go down as one of the most memorable elections in our lifetime. As the country scrambles to prepare for…
Continue Reading 2016 Election Infected With Paid Sick Leave — Part II