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Showing posts for: Washington

Nov 02 2023
Q&ASafety and HealthWage and Hour

WASHINGTON Q&A: Employers can still prohibit some moonlighting

Question: We know there have been many changes in Washington law lately about non-compete restrictions, but are we still allowed to prohibit current employees from moonlighting? Answer: Under certain conditions, yes. Washington law allows employers to restrict current employees from “moonlighting” (i.e., working other jobs at the same time) if the employee is making at…

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Nov 02 2023
Drug and AlcoholHiringQ&A

WASHINGTON Q&A: Conducting pre-employment cannabis tests

Question: We plan to continue pre-employment drug testing for marijuana after Washington’s new restrictions go into effect on January 1, 2024. We heard one of the exceptions that would allow us to continue pre-employment marijuana testing is if impairment in the position “presents a substantial risk of death.” What does that mean and how can…

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Nov 02 2023
Wage and HourWashington

WASHINGTON: Noncompete salary threshold rises for 2024

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) will soon announce the minimum salary thresholds for noncompete agreements that take effect on January 1, 2024. Washington law prohibits noncompete agreements with individuals who earn less than the applicable annual salary threshold. L&I publishes separate thresholds for employees and independent contractors which are both adjusted annually…

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Oct 19 2023
Wage and HourWashington

Washington minimum wage and exempt salary increase in 2024

The state of Washington has announced increases in the minimum wage rate and the exempt salary thresholds for employees, effective January 1, 2024. 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, SeaTac, and Tukwila also have higher minimum wage…

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Oct 05 2023
Wage and HourWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

L&I’s Stay at Work program, are you using it?

Did you know the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) will partially reimburse you for wages paid to an injured worker who has returned to a medically approved light/modified duty job? L&I’s Stay at Work program offers employers an incentive to get injured workers back to work before they’re fully released. Stay at Work…

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Oct 05 2023
COVID-19Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: Permanent TWH rules released

Starting November 1, 2023, operators of temporary worker housing (TWH) must comply with new rules issued by Washington’s Departments of Labor & Industries (L&I) and Health (DOH) that primarily address communicable diseases such as COVID-19. As we previously reported, L&I and DOH indicated in January that they planned to create permanent rules when their last…

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Oct 05 2023
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Claims ‘Monitoring’ vs. ‘Management’: Which is best for your company?

As an employer, navigating complex claims on your own can be exceedingly overwhelming and time-consuming, which is why the prospect of having a partner to “manage your claims” can come as quite a relief. However, it begs the question: what does “claims management” truly entail? And if your partner is more of the “claims monitoring”…

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Aug 18 2023
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Top 3 complaints from Retro groups participants

When it comes to manufacturing Retro groups in Washington, employers have several to consider. They differ, often significantly, in terms of their service offerings and what they require of their members. While we typically focus on the positive aspects and numerous benefits of these programs, it’s important to acknowledge common concerns expressed by Retro participants…

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Aug 10 2023
Safety and HealthTermination & ResignationWashington

Q&A: Light duty may not stop time loss exposure

Question: We had to terminate an employee who was working in a light duty position following his on-the-job injury. The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) awarded him time loss benefits, but we don’t understand why. Since he was working a light duty position when his job ended, shouldn’t that stop time loss exposure?…

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Jul 11 2023
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Learning from past workers’ comp claims – why it’s so important

We all know about claims from the past that linger, causing costs to rise for years. It’s easy to get in the habit of overthinking the numerous scenarios where things could have gone differently. But it’s far more valuable to extract the lessons learned from these claims, and use them to inform future strategies. This…

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Jul 06 2023
Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: Updated heat illness rules effective July 17, 2023

Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) recently updated its permanent rules that protect outdoor workers from heat exposure and illness, effective July 17, 2023. The outdoor heat exposure rules for general industry (which begin at WAC 296-62-095) were revised from WAC 296-62-09510 through 296-62-09560 and the rules for agriculture (which begin at WAC 296-307-097) were revised from…

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Jun 15 2023
Safety and HealthWashington

WASHINGTON: More bills signed from 2023 legislative session

More bills from the 2023 legislative regular session have been signed into law by Washington Governor Jay Inslee. We previously reported on a number of newly signed bills from this session. Two additional bills of interest to employers are listed below. SSB 5217: Authorizes L&I to develop workplace ergonomic safety rules. Effective July 23, 2023,…

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