Revised Washington Job Safety & Health Law Posting
Washington has updated the required Job Safety and Health Law (JS&H) workplace posting. The primary change to the posting concerns employers’ reporting requirements when a work-related incident results in death, hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye. Specifically, deaths and hospitalizations must be reported to the Washington Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) within 8 hours and amputations or the loss of an eye must be reported within 24 hours. These changes are consistent with federal OSHA reporting requirements that went into effect Jan. 1, 2015.
- employees’ right to participate in an inspection without loss of wages or benefits
- updated description of information to be provided when reporting incidents
- revised description of DOSH activities
- deleted details of the WISHA Act, fines, criminal penalties and citation appeals
- availability of foreign language support
- updated format and 9/2015 posting date
In order to ensure employer compliance, CPC has two posting options:
Washington Minimum Wage Will Stay Flat for 2016
The Washington Department of Labor & Industries has announced that the statewide minimum wage rate will remain unchanged for 2016. The State’s minimum wage rate is tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Each year in September, the State evaluates the minimum wage rate and adjusts the rate for any increase in the CPI over the last year. The CPI declined 3 percent over the period of September 2014- September 2015. Therefore, Washington’s $9.47 per hour minimum wage rate will stay the same in 2016.
Washington employers are advised that the state does not require posting the minimum wage rate in the workplace. In fact, the state’s official minimum wage posting was discontinued in 2010 “as a way to simplify requirements for businesses and to save taxpayer money”. Employers are cautioned against the misleading claims of other poster companies that there is a minimum wage posting update. Washington does not produce a minimum wage posting.
Employers can stay compliant with Washington’s current posting requirements simply and economically by using the Washington Job Safety and Health Law Peel ‘N Post™ to update an existing Washington All-On-One™ Labor Law poster, or by purchasing a new Washington All-On-One™ Labor Law Poster.