Category Archives: Employment
Health Start Law
In May 2017, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed the Healthy Starts Act into law. This law provides a number of protections and support for pregnant women—not only in terms of health care, but also in the employment realm. The law requires workplaces with fifteen or more workers to provide accommodation to pregnant employees, and… Read More »
Gender Pay Gap
For the third year in a row, the Washington State legislature is attempting to pass legislation to close the pay gap between women and men. House Bill 1506 would require employers to have job-related reasons for differences in pay and career opportunities for men and women. It would also help uncover pay disparities between… Read More »
Family Leave Act
On July 5, 2017, Governor Jay Inslee signed a law that will provide paid family leave to eligible workers. Beginning in 2020, eligible workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks off for paid family leave. The paid leave can be used for an employee’s own serious health condition, for the birth… Read More »
Family Leave & Disability Plan
In January 2017, Division One of the Court of Appeals of the State of Washington ruled that employees can use a company’s short-term disability policy to receive benefits when missing work to care for sick family members. In the case of Honeycutt v. Department of Labor & Industries, two employees of Phillips 66 wanted… Read More »
Seattle City Council Passes New Employee Rights
On September 19, 2016, the Seattle City Council passed a bill that will give some workers more secure schedules. The bill, which will go into effect in September 2017, offers several protections to covered employees. The bill requires employers to give employees their schedules at least 14 days in advance. If an employer cuts… Read More »