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...

Oregon and Washington just became the latest states to make striking employees eligible for unemployment compensation benefits. T his marks a major policy shift for both states – especially for Washington, which currently disqualifies both striking workers and locked-out workers for benefits. We’ll explain everything you should know about the new laws that could disrupt labor negotiations and union dynamics in the Pacific Northwest and how this growing trend is evolving across the country. Quick Background Unemployment insurance (UI) is a joint state-federal program that pays temporary cash benefits to qualifying unemployed workers. All states must comply with certain guidelines under federal law, but each state administers its own UI program and sets its own additional requirements. Most states treat striking employees as disqualified from receiving UI benefits, but many make exceptions for other types of labor disputes. For example, UI is available during lockouts (those work stoppag...