Beginning July 1, 2019, employers will begin reporting under the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program. Employers will need to report for each employee, the employee’s name, social security number, and wages paid in the reporting quarter and the associated hours. The report must also include the total amount of premiums deducted from all employees’…

On May 8, 2019, the Governor signed a new law passed by State Legislators which creates additional restrictions on non-compete or non-competition agreements or covenants in Washington State. These agreements, often signed at the onset of employment, restrict a departing employee from competing with their former employer, usually by working for a new employer in…

Premium collections for Paid Family and Medical Leave begin January 1, 2019. Employers must begin withholding the premiums from employee paychecks, or plan to cover part or all of the employee’s share. And employers need to start preparing for quarterly reporting by tracking hours and wages for all employees (full-time, part-time, permanent, temporary, and seasonal) as well as tracking total premiums collected from employees.

Not anymore, thanks to Evidence Rule 413 adopted by the Washington Supreme Court that took effect on September 1, 2018. The new rule limits when and how a person’s immigration status can be used as evidence.

Employers are required to permit current and former employees to inspect their own personnel file at least annually, but an employer may refuse to permit access to certain records.

Paid sick leave and paid family medical leave are two recent, big developments in Washington employment law. On January 1, 2019, premium assessments will begin for the new Paid Family Medical Leave system managed by Employment Security Department.

In Washington State, a person has the right to be free from discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sex or sexual orientation. The rules do not protect individuals who use the facility under false pretenses.

On January 1, 2018, Washington’s paid sick leave law went into effect. The paid sick leave law requires employers to notify, in written or electronic form, each employee…

Wages are simply the compensation due to an employee by reason of employment. Basically, all work must be paid for with limited exceptions.

One of the biggest sources of confusion I see from businesses in Whatcom County is trying to figure out the difference between independent contractors and employees.