Vigilant Blog

Question: I just read that Governor Inslee extended the moratorium on garnishments in Washington. I thought you said the moratorium ended on May 27, 2020, for wage withholding. Which is right? Answer: As we previously reported, the governor’s moratorium on garnishment of wages for consumer debt did indeed end on May 27, 2020. This means…

On May 15, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee announced that the Washington Legislature agreed to extend the temporary moratorium on garnishment for consumer debts that was imposed by the governor’s Proclamation 20-49. The original proclamation expired on May 14, 2020, but the revised version (Proclamation 20-49.1) extends the moratorium until 11:59 p.m. on May 21, 2020….

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I)’s Wage and Hour team recently confirmed in an informal email that employers aren’t obligated to return garnished wages to employees when the withholding took place before the governor’s garnishment moratorium on April 14, 2020. L&I can’t say conclusively what you should do with that money, but suggested it…

Question: Before Governor Inslee’s order temporarily halting garnishments for consumer debt took effect on April 14, 2020, we withheld wages and set the money aside to send to the creditor once the 60-day garnishment period ended. Should we refund that money to our employee? Or should we hold on to it and send it to…

Washington employers must temporarily stop withholding worker wages under writs of garnishment, according to a proclamation issued by Governor Jay Inslee to ease financial hardships for workers during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. This includes writs you currently hold and any new writs you receive starting April 14 and continuing through May 14, 2020. The proclamation temporarily suspends…