Question: My employee says they tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus). There have been so many changes to the requirements that I’m not sure what I should do anymore. Please help! Answer: Start with current federal guidance and then check your state and local requirements. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) web page on…
Read More…
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…
Read More…
On September 24, 2021, Washington’s Departments of Labor & Industries (L&I) and Health made very minor updates to the existing COVID-19 (coronavirus) safety rules for temporary worker housing (TWH) in the agriculture industry to align with Governor Inslee’s current “Washington Ready” Proclamation (20-25.17). As a reminder, as of the end of June the agriculture industry no longer has its own COVID-19 safety compliance…
Read More…
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…
Read More…
I advise Washington employers A LOT about discipline and terminations. One of my recent calls went like this: “Hi, we have a two-year employee who has horrible attendance and a bad attitude. No one likes working with her. She always complains about anxiety, and last week she was a no-call, no-show. When…
Read More…
As some jurisdictions roll out mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 (coronavirus) for some workers, it’s important to keep an eye on requirements in your local area. Here’s a summary of where things stand as of today: Federal requirements: On July 29, 2021, President Biden announced that federal agencies must require federal contractors who work on site at…
Read More…
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…
Read More…
Governor Jay Inslee announced yesterday that all individuals, whether vaccinated or not, must wear masks when in an indoor public space beginning August 23, 2021, with limited exceptions. The Washington Department of Health responded by posting Order 20-03.4 (Face Coverings – Statewide). Significant work-related exceptions to this general requirement to wear…
Read More…
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…
Read More…
Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) offers numerous training and education resources on its Be Heat Smart webpage, to help employers comply with emergency heat stress regulations that took effect on July 13, 2021. Resources include a customizable outdoor heat exposure prevention plan, a self-paced training module (which you should…
Read More…