A MESSAGE FROM LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR MICHAEL CHURCH:
As you are likely aware, the Washington State Legislature is currently in session. As usual, there are a number of significant pieces of legislation related to employment and business currently under consideration. The key legislation that we are working on are the following:
HB 1764/SB 5578 Minimum Wage Increase, Mandatory Paid Vacation, & Mandatory Paid Bereavement Leave - This legislation would significantly expand employers’ compensation and paid leave obligations by: raising the state’s minimum wage to $25 per hour by 2031, mandating a minimum of 2.3 hours of vacation accrual per 40 hours worked (in addition to current paid sick leave requirements), and mandate paid bereavement leave up to 5 days per calendar year per employee. WA SHRM IS OPPOSED.
HB 1213 Paid Family & Medical Leave Expansion - This legislation would expand PFML coverage to employees by reducing the minimum claim for benefits from 8 to 4 hours, extend job protection to anyone who has worked for the employer for at least 90 calendar days prior to taking leave (regardless of employer size). The legislation also contains provisions to help prevent employees from attempting to run FMLA and PFML consecutively instead of concurrently as well as grants for employers to offset organizational costs. WA SHRM IS OPPOSED.
HB 1308 Personnel Records - This legislation would require employers to provide current and former employees with a copy of their personnel files within 21 days of a request. Additionally, the legislation would require employers to provide former employees, upon request, a statement of the employee’s discharge date and reasons, if any, for discharge. WA SHRM IS OPPOSED.
HB 1155 Prohibition of Non-Compete Agreements - This legislation would render any and all non-competition agreements void and unenforceable in the State of Washington. WA SHRM IS OPPOSED.
SB 5041 UI Benefits for Striking Workers - This legislation would allow individuals unemployed due to a labor strike or employer-initiated lockout to receive unemployment insurance compensation. Benefits begin the second Sunday after first day of strike. WA SHRM IS OPPOSED.
SB 5408 Employer Right to Remedy EPOA Violations - This legislation would allow employers a right to cure a deficient salary disclosure under the EPOA. L&I or a job applicant would be required to provide written notice to the employer that the posting is deficient, and then the employer would have 10 business days to correct the posting. If the posting is corrected, no penalties, damages, or other relief may be assessed to the employer. WA SHRM SUPPORTS.
HB 1184 Overtime Exemption for Small Business and Nonprofits - This legislation would exempt an employee from the state overtime pay requirements if the employee performs certain executive, administrative, or professional duties, is employed by a small business or nonprofit organization meeting certain criteria, and is paid a predetermined fixed salary of at least 1.5 times the state minimum wage for a 40-hour workweek. WA SHRM SUPPORTS.
Legislators need to hear from business and HR with regard to each of these items! Please join me and your INSHRM legislative team in providing insight and expertise with regard to the matters pending before the legislature by attending upcoming virtual visits with members of the Washington State Legislature. State legislative sessions are brief and things move quickly! To join in virtual hill visits, please email me by Friday February 13th at [email protected].
Finally, if you are interested in letting your representative know your position on any of these bills directly, please let me know and I will send you a link to log in and make your voice heard.
