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Dec 16 2021
COVID-19Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: State extends rules for reporting COVID-19 outbreaks

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has issued a replacement emergency temporary rule, which is identical to the rule we previously reported, regarding employer reporting and notification requirements for infectious and contagious diseases during a public health emergency, including the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The original rules were set to expire on December 8,…

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Dec 16 2021
Q&AWage and HourWashington

WASHINGTON Q&A: Pay door-to-door for out-of-town travel

Question: We have a non-exempt (hourly) employee in Washington who’s going to be traveling out of town for work. What travel time hours do they need to be paid for? Answer: The safest approach is to pay the employee door-to-door (from their home to the out-of-town destination and from the out-of-town destination back home). As…

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Nov 04 2021
ArizonaCaliforniaIdaho

Q&A: Know how to respond to positive COVID-19 result

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 Quarantine and…

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Oct 21 2021
Wage and HourWashington

WASHINGTON: Seattle and SeaTac increase minimum wages in 2022

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 limits. The specific…

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Oct 07 2021
COVID-19Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: 5th update to COVID-19 temporary worker housing rules

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…

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Oct 07 2021
Wage and HourWashington

WASHINGTON: Minimum wage and exempt salary increase in 2022

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 minimum wage requirements but…

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Aug 27 2021
Leave LawsTermination & ResignationWashington

Legal Corner: Avoid These Three Workers’ Comp Mistakes

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 we got a…

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Aug 19 2021
ArizonaCaliforniaIdaho

Be aware of vaccine rules in your area

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…

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Aug 19 2021
COVID-19Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: New rules for reporting COVID-19 outbreaks

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 May 11, 2021 (ESSB…

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Aug 19 2021
COVID-19DisabilitySafety and Health

WASHINGTON: Masks required indoors effective August 23, 2021

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 masks indoors include the…

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Aug 05 2021
Wage and HourWashington

WASHINGTON: New L&I wage and hour guidance for employers

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 toward employees than the…

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Jul 22 2021
Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: L&I offers heat stress resources

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 supplement with any company-specific…

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