Safety and Health  

WASHINGTON: Injury reporting rules revised July 1, 2015

Employers in Washington must comply with new requirements for reporting serious injuries beginning July 1, 2015.

Wage and Hour  

Seattle, Washington minimum wage ordinance upheld; regulations released

A federal district court in Washington has refused to stop the City of Seattle from treating each franchise as a “large employer” for fast phase-in of Seattle’s new $15 minimum wage, and Seattle has moved ahead in issuing its new administrative rules on minimum wage.

Q&AWage and Hour  

Do employees occasionally working in Seattle get a minimum wage bump?

Q: Our business isn’t in Seattle but we have some employees who occasionally work there. Do we have to pay the new minimum wage to these employees starting April 1st?

Disability  

Collaboration and communication key to disability accommodation

When a disability interferes with an employee’s ability to work, Washington’s Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) requires employers to engage in a collaborative process to search for reasonable accommodations, and eventually explore other available positions that meet the employee’s restrictions, ruled a federal district court.

Hiring  

WASHINGTON: Overbroad, anticompetitive noncompetes are unenforceable

Three different versions of a noncompete agreement, signed by three employees hired at different times, were too harsh to be enforced, said a federal district court in Washington. The employer, which specialized in artificial insemination of livestock, sued the workers when they left to work for a competitor.

WASHINGTON: Employers are responsible for discrimination between independent contractors

Independent contractors reporting discrimination incurred from other independent contractors are protected from retaliation under the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), even though they are not employees of the company, according to a recent Washington case.

Vigilant NewsWorkers’ Comp  

WASHINGTON: Vigilant Workers’ Comp program earns even more in premium refunds!

Our Washington Workers’ Comp claims team is very excited to report that on top of the $7.5M in refunds distributed this year, we have recovered an additional $633,227 in premium refunds for participants in our retro program.

Wage and HourWorkers’ Comp

WASHINGTON: L&I announces 2015 workers’ comp rate increase

Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has announced an average proposed 1.8 percent rate increase in workers’ compensation rates effective January 1, 2015, pointing out that the proposal is just under the current rate of wage inflation of 2 percent.

Workers’ Comp  

WASHINGTON: We’re #1 – but we aren’t talking about the Seahawks

In a recent study on workers’ comp costs, Washington once again tops the nation in the highest benefits paid per worker.

Workers’ Comp  

WASHINGTON: Important changes coming to L&I’s Stay at Work application process

By now you are likely familiar with Washington’s Labor and Industries (L&I) Stay at Work Program, which reimburses state-fund employers in Washington for light duty wages on a claim up to $10,000 or 66 days.