The Washington Employment Security Department (ESD) published new rules last week for implementation of the WA Cares Fund, Washington’s new long-term care insurance program. Washington employers will remember that this fund was hastily “paused” by Governor Jay Inslee and the legislature in January, and then modified in the 2022 legislative session to delay the…
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The state of Washington has announced increases in the minimum wage rate and the exempt salary thresholds for employees, effective January 1, 2023. These increases impact several state wage requirements that you’ll want to be aware of if you have employees in Washington. The cities of Seattle and SeaTac also have…
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The Washington legislature passed a handful of changes to the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, which were signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee on March 30, 2022 (SSSB 5649). These key changes are effective June 9, 2022: Family leave may now be used for bereavement for seven calendar…
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Question: An employee working remotely from her home in Seattle is demanding a raise because the Seattle minimum wage increased this year. Our company doesn’t have any locations or other employees in the city, so Seattle’s laws don’t apply to us, right? Answer: If you have even one employee who works within the Seattle city…
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As of January 1, 2022, both the premiums and maximum weekly benefits have increased for Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. The premium rate has increased to 0.6% of each employee’s gross wages (not including tips), up to a maximum of $147,000 (which is the 2022 Social Security cap). The split…
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The minimum wage in both Seattle and SeaTac will exceed $17.00 an hour as of January 1, 2022. The City of Seattle is increasing its minimum wage requirement to $17.27 per hour for most employers. Seattle’s minimum wage rates apply to all non-exempt employees for all hours they work within the city…
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The state of Washington has announced increases in the minimum wage rate and the exempt salary thresholds for employees, effective January 1, 2022. These increases impact several state wage requirements that you’ll want to be aware of if you have employees in Washington. The cities of Seattle and SeaTac have higher…
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Beginning September 4, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it’s extending the expiration date of conditional Permanent Resident Cards (Green Cards) from 18 months to 24 months while cases are pending. The Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) provides proof of a worker’s identity and employment authorization status, and may be…
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The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) released new emergency rules on employer reporting and notification requirements for infectious and contagious diseases during a public health emergency, including the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. These new rules were created to implement the Health Emergency Labor Standards Act (HELSA), which took effect on…
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The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) adopted two administrative policies providing guidance to Washington employers on state wage and hour topics. These policies (organized in a question and answer format) provide explanations and detailed examples of compliance with the Washington Minimum Wage Act (WMWA), which is generally more favorable…
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