Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD) has finalized its second round of rulemaking regarding the State’s new Paid Family Leave Program. These rules provide additional information on employer reporting requirements, voluntary Paid Family Leave program requirements, deadlines, small business assistance, and other issues. The rules will take effect on December 3, 2018. Premium collection will begin... View Article
Internships offer additional benefits to employers, namely recruiting and grooming talent for future employment in the organization. The question is: when is a company required to pay interns? There is a common misconception these individuals do not need to be compensated for their work if they are classified as interns. The misclassification of employees as... View Article
September has arrived and those with kids are getting back into the school routine. Your employee’s schedules and mindsets may have shifted to new schedules and priorities. For many, these shifts are subtle – maybe a day off or a slightly later start time – while for others the preparation for back to school creates... View Article
House Bill 1506 bans pay disparities based on gender and prohibits assigning or directing an employee into a less favorable career track based on gender and failing to provide information about promotions. The bill would also prohibit employers from requiring employees to keep compensation information confidential or retaliate against an employee for comparing or discussing... View Article
Employers had until the end of February to comment on proposed changes to proposed revisions to Chapter 90 Rules for Seattle’s Minimum Wage Ordinance (SMC 14.19). The revisions were made to put the rules in compliance with Initiative 1433 (WA Minimum Wage) and the Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance. Many of the proposed revisions are not... View Article
On election night Washington voters approved Initiative 1433, which incrementally increases the state’s current minimum wage of $9.47 to $13.50 by 2020. The first hike to $11 per hour is set to occur on January 1, 2017. In addition, the rule requires every employer to provide sick leave starting 2018 as follows: one hour of... View Article
On December 7, 2016, the Portland City Council approved a tax on certain companies that pay their CEOs 100 times or more what their average employee makes. This surtax is the first in the nation of its kind and its purpose, per the ordinance, is to address income equality. Note that the surtax, added to... View Article
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a temporary injunction blocking the DOL’s new overtime rule nationwide.What does this temporary injunction mean for employers? It means that, at least for now, employers are not required to comply with the new rule. However, if an employer has already put the rules into... View Article
Blog written by Keil Larsen, Equinox Business Law Group. On June 2, 2014, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved the adoption of a $15 per hour minimum wage ordinance. The ordinance will affect employers beginning April 1, 2015 and will phase-in wage increases to the minimum wage of employees to $15.00 per hour over 3-7... View Article
