On January 1, 2019, the minimum wage will rise in 20 states and on the federal level for employees of federal contractors. While state-level minimum wages remain a popular solution for regional cost-of-living differences, municipal minimum wages are increasingly seen as a remedy for cost-of-living differences between cities and counties within an individual state. 20 Read more
Although opinions differ as to the cause, the wage gap between male and female workers persists even today – on average, women earn roughly 80% of what men earn over the course of a lifetime. Some equality advocates have argued that the common employer practice of using a new hire’s previous salary to determine their Read more
On January 1, 2018, the minimum wage increased in 18 states, an even greater number of municipalities, and on the federal level for employees of federal contractors. Employers were required to pay employees at the updated hourly wage rate and, in many cases, update their outdated workplace posters with a 2018 minimum wage poster. While Read more
The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is hoping all employers will give its two new free phone apps a try: the Good Observation, Near-Miss and Accident Reporting App and the SafeMe App. We took them for a spin and give them both two-thumbs up! Good Observation, Near-Miss and Accident Reporting App The Good Read more
Amongst the other changes ushered in by the 2016 election, four states have voted to raise their minimum wage beginning in 2017. With the passage of Proposition 206, Arizona will incrementally raise the hourly rate to $12.00 by 2020, after which it will once again increase in concert with the Consumer Price Index measuring cost Read more
Seattle 4-In-One “Workplace Poster” Late last year, the City of Seattle, Washington conducted an overhaul of its labor laws, enhancing employee protections and standardizing employer compliance requirements with the passage of Ordinance 124960. The changes affect the way employers must administer their workplace policies and procedures and provide greater protection to applicants and employees that Read more
Washington Unemployment Benefits Washington State requires employers responsible for unemployment insurance coverage of their employees to post the mandatory Unemployment Benefits poster. The notice has several important changes that affect applicant eligibility and application procedures. This includes: Applicants must be able to provide employer history for the last 18 months Applicants that were in the Read more
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 Read more
Beginning Nov. 1, 2013, the City of Seattle will limit employers’ ability to use criminal history information in hiring and employment decisions. Key provisions of a new ordinance (No. 124201) include: Initial screening: During the initial screening process, employers cannot perform a criminal background check or ask about an applicant’s criminal history, even on a Read more
If you’re an employer in Washington State, then you already know it’s important to keep employees informed of their rights and responsibilities at work. All Washington employers are also required to post State workplace posters that are “in good condition” and current. By law, the fines for failure to post any of the State’s required Read more
