Hiring is a beast of a process – and when done right, it pays off. However, what does “doing it right” look like? The hiring process specifics will be different for each company, but the core is about structuring the process. Structure helps you identify that the individual has the key characteristics to be successful... 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
In March of this year, Washington became the 11th state to enact legislation requiring public and private sector employers to delay background checks and inquiries regarding job applicants’ conviction records until after determining an applicant is otherwise qualified for the position. Employers that must comply with the Fair Chance Act include public agencies, private individuals,... 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
The recent focus on employee retention, from what we’ve seen at Equinox, arises from two trends. First, it’s really tough to find the right people in the current market. Once you find them, it’s essential that you keep them. Second, business owners are seeking people who can take over when they retire and key employees... View Article
Last week the Seattle Times reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil fraud suit against local developer Lobsang Dargey, alleging that he stole nearly $18 million for his own use from immigrant investors under the EB-5 program. The program allows wealthy foreigners to invest money ($500,000 at a minimum) in a... View Article
Blog written by Michelle Bomberger, Equinox Business Law Group. As business confidence increases, many companies are looking for sales people. Yet when you talk with business owners, finding a successful sales person is very tough. The skills required to be successful are not always obvious. What you hear in an interview may sound great, but... View Article