Recent News

If you manage or own a business with employees, you have likely faced (or will face) the need to address poor employee performance. This task is neither fun nor comfortable. Keep in mind, however, that providing honest, routine feedback can help protect employers from liability down the line, especially if the employment relationship goes sour. … Read More

The Washington Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, recently held that a 60-year exception to the state’s wage/hour laws for dairy workers is unconstitutional.  At issue was RCW 49.46.130(2)(g)—that section of the Washington Minimum Wage Act which exempts agricultural workers from earning overtime pay. In Martinez-Cuevas, et al. v. DeRuyter, et al., Jose Martinez-Cuevas and… Read More

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to large scale unemployment throughout the nation.  Washington State’s businesses and workers have been hit hard by the effects of this pandemic. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act (CARES Act), which contains many provisions to help small businesses, including the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) discussed here: https://beresfordlaw.com/what-you-should-know-about-the-payroll-protection-program/; as well… Read More

On March 18, 2020, the federal government enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which also includes the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA) among its provisions.  The EPSLA and EFMLEA apply to employers who have fewer than 500 employees, and cover new federal… Read More

For decades, Washington State left the its overtime rules essentially unchanged. But recent changes going into effect in July 2020 will dramatically increase the threshold for exemptions to overtime eligibility. When combined with the recent increase in Washington State’s minimum wage of $13.50/hour effective January 1, 2020, these changes will are expected to affect approximately… Read More

Today the Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) announced a settlement with Leadpoint Business Services (Leadpoint) as the largest in the agency’s history. Leadpoint is an Arizona based staffing company that provided workers for two waste recycling facilities in Seattle. The OLS settlement requires Leadpoint to pay $686,202.00 in backpay, interest, and liquidated damages to… Read More

Effective January 1, 2020, this new law will prohibit all noncompetition agreements for employees whose W-2 earnings are less than $100,000 annually, and for independent contractors paid less than $250,000 per year. The legislation states that those amounts will be adjusted annually for inflation, just one aspect of this law which could pose a headache for… Read More

In July of 2017, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law legislation guaranteeing paid family leave to employees across Washington State. The groundbreaking move places Washington in a small group of states who have passed such legislation. While prior law generally mandated only unpaid leave and left many employees ineligible due to the size of their… Read More

In the fall of 2016, Washington State voters approved Initiative 1433, which made four major changes to state law:  (1) it increases the minimum wage; (2) ensures tips and service charges are given to appropriate staff; (3) protects certain employees from retaliation for exercising their legal rights; and (4) requires employers to provide paid sick… Read More