All employers, including those in Washington, are required to display current labor law posters. After January 1, 2011, each Washington company will be required to post an updated 2011 minimum wage poster. On that day, the Washington minimum wage will increase from $8.55 per hour to $8.67 per hour. ... continue reading

Overtime pay is defined and mandated by the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act). Under this law, employees who work more than 40 hours in one work week are entitled to overtime pay at the rate of 1.5 times their usual hourly pay.

Some occupations are allowed to ... continue reading

On January 1, 2009, the Washington state minimum wage increased from $8.07 per hour to $8.55 per hour, a jump of 48 cents. The increase is mandated by state Initiative 688, voted into law in 1998. The raise in the minimum wage is calculated in September of each year ... continue reading

Arthur is a web developer working full-time for a large ad agency in Washington. While he’s taking his FMLA leave to care for his sick spouse, Arthur’s boss hires a part-time employee to do some of Arthur’s work. After 10 weeks, Arthur returns to his workplace, only to find ... continue reading

Several employees have asked, “Are pre-employment polygraph tests legal in Washington?”

The answer to this question is usually no, pre-employment polygraphs are not legal. According to the federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA), most private employers are prohibited from using polygraph tests to screen applicants, or to ... continue reading

In 1990, the landmark federal law, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed. This statute set guidelines regarding disabled employees. Under the ADA, employers must provide “reasonable accommodations” for workers with disabilities.

The term “reasonable accommodations” is defined by the job, and by the disabled worker. Each ... continue reading

Workplace violence in Washington and throughout the nation is declining.   From 1994 until 2006, the number of deaths in the workplace as a result of violent acts and assaults dropped by an incredible 50%.   This is according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.   The BLS states ... continue reading

While there is no federal law or Washington state law about written warnings for workers, most good Human Resources professionals have adopted them. They’re considered good practice, and they’re the rule at most major franchises and companies.

Written warnings are usually part of what is called a “progressive” discipline ... continue reading

The Washington minimum wage increased from $7.93 to $8.07, effective January 1, 2008.  For the seventh consecutive year, Washington has the highest minimum wage rate in the country.

Massachusetts and California also increased their minimum wage rates on January 1, with both of their rates rising from $7.50 to ... continue reading

The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program is a federal program that is administered by the federal government in order to provide financial assistance to employees tha are out of work as a direct result of a disaster. Many employees in states across the country, including the state of Washington, may be ... continue reading

The Womens Health and Cancer Rights Act is a federal Act that was signed into place in 1998 in order to ensure that women can receive the health care coverage that they need if they have a mastectomy. The WHCRA applies to all health care policies that cover the cost ... continue reading

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act has been protecting workers across the country that wish to make a military commitment. The Act was put into place in 1994 in order to replace the Veterans Reemployment Rights Act. According to USERRA, employees may make a military commitment at any ... continue reading

Washington employee should be able to learn about the labor laws that impact them in the workplace by reviewing labor law posters that are displayed prominently in the workplace. All employers are required to display labor law posters in an area of the workplace that is easily  accessible by all ... continue reading

State laws differ greatly with regards to overtime pays and the minimum wage for workers who receive tips.

Washington is one of just 7 states that require tipped workers to be paid the same minimum wage as others. For 2008, that’s $8.07 per hour. Overtime after 40 hours is ... continue reading

The Family and Medical Leave Act is a federal Act that extends benefits to employees that need to take time off of work for a qualifying medical condition that they are going through or that a covered family member is going through. Though many employees view their pets as bona ... continue reading

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act is a federal Act that applies to many employees in states across the country, including many employees in the state of Washington. However, the Act does not apply to all employees or to all employers.

In order for an employee to be covered ... continue reading

As in many states, federal laws, especially the Family and Medical Leave Act, directly guide the procedures for Washington Pregnancy Laws. When it comes to Washington Pregnancy Laws, workers may use paid leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child as well as a seriously ill family member. ... continue reading

As you are probably already aware there are federal civil rights laws in place to ensure equal opportunity for all, including persons with disabilities. Most states have enacted their own laws as well. Washington state disability laws are in place to ensure equal rights and equal treatment for those who ... continue reading

Washington Workers’ Compensation Laws were created to insure that the rights of injured workers are upheld.  If you are injured on the job you will need to know about your companies workers’ compensation insurance.  A poster with your companies insurer should be posted in an area where all employees can access ... continue reading

Just like every other state in the United States, Washington has its own regulations pertaining to smoking. This blog contains a summary of some of the highlights of Washington smoking laws.

Some examples of Washington smoking laws include ones that pertain to where Washington visitors and residents are allowed ... continue reading

Like many other states, Washington’s workplace vacation laws are similar to federal laws on the subject. These laws say that vacations are a fringe benefit of a job, and it is up to the employer to decide if they are going to grant their staff vacation benefits or not. The ... continue reading

The Washington lunch and break laws dictate meal periods and breaks for many employees. The Administrative regulation that requires meals and breaks specifically excludes newspaper carriers, domestic laborers, casual laborers in a private residence, workers in a sheltered workshop and agricultural workers.

In addition, Washington law allows for the ... continue reading

Washington Short Term Disability Laws are designed to protect you if you are ever injured or have an illness that prevents you from working. No one expects to incur a sickness or injury that keeps them off of work for weeks or months, but this happens often. Most of the ... continue reading

Washington is one of the very few states where an employee may request “comp” time, or compensatory time off work, instead of overtime pay. In most states and under federal law, only government employees, or those who are employed by non-profit agencies, may take comp time in lieu of being ... continue reading

If you are planning to file a wrongful termination claim in Washington, your first step should be to arm yourself with knowledge about the wrongful termination laws in that state. Washington is an “at will” state, which means your employer can fire you at any time, for nearly any reason. ... continue reading

The Washington Minor Labor Laws that were updated in 1991 are stricter than the FSLA federal law.  They set tighter limits on when minors can work, for how long and in what occupations.  The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries oversee the minor labor laws.  Every minor under the ... continue reading

You may have heard the term comp time, which refers to compensation time or compensatory time off. Whichever term you use it all means the same thing, time off with pay in lieu of overtime pay. What you might be surprised to learn is that in most cases it is ... continue reading

If an employer offers disability benefits for other temporary medical conditions, under the Washington state laws, they must also pay benefits for pregnancy disabilities. An employer who offers no short-term disability benefits to other employees, is under no obligation to offer paid maternity leave. The state of Washington has better ... continue reading

Everyone should take the time to learn the labor laws in their area. Whether you are an employer or an employee, knowing the law means knowing your rights. The federal government has its own labor laws, enforced by the US Department of Labor, and some states have their own laws ... continue reading

West Virginia exempt employee laws have been established for quite some time now. These laws have been made available to both employers and employees to help them understand more about tax exemption and liability.

According to West Virginia exempt employee laws most employees are permitted to claim dependents. In ... continue reading