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Mar 20 2026
Leave LawsWage and HourWashington

Washington Governor signs 2026 employment legislation

Washington’s 2026 legislative session ended on March 12, 2026, with Governor Bob Ferguson signing multiple employment-related bills into law. ESB 6106 Washington WARN Act notice content: Modifies the notice requirements of the Washington mini-WARN Act to protect employee names from disclosure to coworkers. The names of affected coworkers are no longer required to be included…

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Jan 27 2026
Leave Laws

FMLA covers travel time for medical appointments

The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) can be used by an employee to cover time necessary to travel to and from medical appointments, according to a recent opinion letter published by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Eligible employees can use FMLA leave to travel to appointments to diagnose, monitor, address, or treat…

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Jan 05 2026
Employee BenefitsLeave LawsWashington

In Washington Health benefits may need to start during paid leave

As of January 1, 2026, several important changes to Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WPFML) have taken effect (as we previously reported), including expanded health benefit coverage, which will affect employees whose leave crosses over from the end of 2025 into the beginning of 2026. Currently, health benefits continue if there’s at least one…

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Dec 20 2025
Leave LawsWashington

WPFML: New rules, model notices, and other changes

2026 is ringing in changes to the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave law (WPFML) with new rules published by the Employment Security Department (ESD) and new model notices for Washington employers to send out to employees. As we previously reported, WPFML was amended to expand job restoration rights and continued health insurance coverage for…

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Dec 19 2025
Leave LawsOregonWashington

Q&A: Does sick time cover flood evacuation in Washington & Oregon?

Question: The area where our business is located is under a level 3 (go now, shut the business) evacuation order from the county’s office of emergency management due to flooding. Can employees use their paid sick leave while we’re closed? Answer: If you’re located in Oregon or Washington, then yes, employees are allowed to use any available paid…

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Oct 17 2025
Leave LawsWage and Hour

Q&A: Know how to properly calculate 12 workweeks of FMLA leave

Question: We generally give everyone 480 hours in their federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave bank. We have a production employee whose schedule requires them to work 86 hours every two weeks, including mandatory overtime. They have requested leave under the FMLA and believe they’re entitled to more than 480 hours of leave….

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Sep 11 2025
DisabilityLeave LawsTermination & Resignation

Avoid rigid enforcement of unforeseeable intermittent FMLA leave

The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that an employer was overly strict in limiting unforeseeable intermittent leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to the estimated frequency listed in an employee’s medical certification. A mail clerk had sickle cell anemia, which caused symptoms that varied in severity depending on…

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Sep 11 2025
DisabilityHarassment & DiscriminationLeave Laws

Q&A: Know how to deal with ghosting by employees

Question: We keep running into situations where employees stop showing up and communicating with us. Sometimes we don’t hear anything, sometimes they stop communicating while on approved leave, and sometimes we know they’re missing work due to a medical issue but they’re not calling in. How should we address these scenarios? Answer: Ghosting by employees…

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Aug 26 2025
Leave LawsQ&ATermination & Resignation

Q&A: Verify documentation if terminating before scheduled leave

Question: An employee who is responsible for billing keeps making recordkeeping mistakes. Despite repeated coaching, there has been no improvement. The issues have gotten serious enough that her manager wants to terminate immediately. This employee was approved for two months of medical leave that begins next week. Do we have to wait until her leave…

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Jun 23 2025
Leave LawsTermination & Resignation

Q&A: Investigate attendance policy violation before disciplining

Question: One of our employees has been absent and late several times without following our call-in requirements. This makes it impossible to find coverage and her manager is understandably frustrated. Yesterday she didn’t show up or contact her manager at all. This morning, she told us she couldn’t call in because she had low blood sugar…

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Jun 09 2025
Employee BenefitsLeave LawsWashington

Big changes to Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave law

On May 17, 2025, Governor Bob Ferguson signed legislation making significant changes to the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave program (WPFML) (ESSHB 1213). The amended law expands job protection to employees of smaller companies, creates a time limit on job protection rights, allows employers to count leave time under the federal Family and Medical…

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May 19 2025
Employee BenefitsLeave LawsTermination & Resignation

Washington state-level WARN Act adds major compliance hurdles

On May 13, 2025, Governor Ferguson signed ESSB 5525, creating significant obligations for Washington employers conducting specific mass layoffs and business closings. Since 1989, the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) has required employers with 100 or more full-time employees to provide advance notice when they’re conducting mass layoffs or plant closings,…

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