We previously posted an article about the new non-compete legislation in Washington that was expected to be signed into law. Since that original article was posted, the bill was in fact signed and Washington employers should begin preparing for the new rules to take effect on January 1, 2020. But what do employers really need... View Article
Effective on July 28, 2019, employers in Washington State are prohibited from collecting or seeking the wage or salary history of an applicant for employment. Salary History Bans Salary history bans are becoming increasingly common and are now in place in some form across 17 states, including Washington, Oregon, and California, as well as 14... View Article
Some of you may have come across the recent LinkedIn posts calling out a Virginia based recruiting firm called Cynet Systems for job postings that included “Caucasians preferred” and “female candidate only”. And your first reaction was probably something like “This isn’t legal, right?” Right. While I’m not going to get into the details of... View Article
Update: Governor Inslee signed this legislation on May 9, 2019, making it law. Changes will go into effect on January 1, 2020. Washington’s State’s Governor Jay Inslee is very likely to sign a new bill regulating non-competition agreements. The new law places restrictions on which workers can be subject to non-competition agreements and specific terms.... View Article
Over the past few years, the emphasis on employee engagement and happiness has been forefront in the business news and best practices. And though more companies are realizing Ping-Pong tables aren’t essential for workplace happiness, there’s certainly value in creating a ‘fun’ work environment to boost employee engagement. Whether your company’s incentives are fun or financial... View Article
Although just introduced by the Washington state legislature on January 23, Senate Bill 5513 (SB 5513) is causing concern and confusion for many Washington business owners. The bill, if passed, creates the Employee Fair Classification Act (EFCA), would change the definition of independent contractors — greatly impacting businesses that employ independent contractors based on the... View Article
Over the years, companies both large and small — from FedEx and Microsoft to the local gym — have found themselves in deep water due to the misclassification of contractors. They use contractors as “part-time” or “overflow” workers, and those workers don’t meet the criteria to be classified as contractors. This past year, Google has... View Article
Although we are often distracted at this time of year by fun family gatherings, vacation time, and holiday cheer and events, businesses often take this time to ensure they are ready to start the new year strong. Below are several areas we suggest businesses evaluate as they plan for a successful year: Financial goals. Your... View Article
Beginning January 1, 2019, Washington state will join the small group of states mandating paid family and medical leave (“PFML”) for Washington state employees. Here are some of the key questions our clients are asking: What is the purpose of the law? Is our business required to collect the employer and employee premiums and implement... View Article