Compliance Stuff

Washington lawmakers were busy this year, and a wave of new laws will have a major impact on the workplace. Employers must be aware of significant workplace laws taking effect within the next year, including 11 new laws that kicked in this month. Nearly all add more compliance requirements to your plate, and the changes even ramp up the penalties for failures to comply. Here’s a quick guide to help you keep track of it all and prepare for the changes. 11 New Washington Workplace Laws Taking Effect in July 2025 Effective July 1, 2025 Major Expansion of the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act ( HB 1905 - 2024 ).  Washington’s pay transparency law adds age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, and honorably discharged veteran or military status. It also includes the presence of sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability to the gen...

On May 20, 2025, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson took the final step toward implementing  House Bill (HB) 1213 ’s expansion of the state’s paid family and medical leave program when he greenlit funding for the program as part of the state appropriations budget for the 2025-2027 biennium. With this funding, the new law will take effect on January 1, 2026. Quick Hits Washington State’s HB 1213 expands job protection rights under the state’s paid family and medical leave program. The amended leave program reduces the minimum increment of time off from eight consecutive hours to four consecutive hours. HB 1213 also broadens health insurance coverage requirements, along with a variety of other miscellaneous changes. HB 1213 expands the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WPFML) program, which is a state-administered program that provides Washington employees with paid time off from work for serious personal and family medical leave. Here is an overview of the key changes to WPFML...