In 2018, Washington State joined the ranks of states enacting expanded legislation designed to achieve gender-based pay equity when it enacted the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (the “EPOA”). The EPOA significantly expanded Washington’s then-existing […]

The hoped-for “Trump effect” appears to be in play and is pushing the National Labor Relations Board (“Board”) pendulum back toward the management side of the equation after the Obama years. Among the changes on the horizon are a thawing of the definitions of […]

On April 17, 2019, the Washington Legislature passed a bill that would drastically alter the legal landscape for noncompetition agreements. Presently the bill is on the Governor’s desk, awaiting his signature. The new law, once enacted, will invalidate many (and perhaps most) existing noncompetition agreements in Washington, as of January 1, 2020 […]

The Federal Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides for 12 weeks of unpaid, but jobprotected, leave for employees’ family and medical reasons. Employers often provide employees with other forms of paid leave that they can also use to care for themselves or their family members. Prior to 2014, employers would often require […]

Few workplaces are entirely free from gossip and rumors. Employers typically consider such chatter an annoying but inevitable part of social interactions among their employees, something to be ignored if possible. Supervisors sometimes join in the discussions of other employees’ personal lives […]

In a recent decision, the Supreme Court found legal disputes between interstate trucking companies and owner-operator independent contractors cannot be forced into arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) even if the contractor agreement includes a mandatory arbitration clause […]

The United States Constitution, in Article I, Section 9, states that “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in
Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” A related federal statute, known as the “Antideficiency Act,” makes it unlawful for federal employees to “make or authorize an expenditure or obligation,” or to involve […]

For many employers, the company holiday party is as ubiquitous as the holidays themselves. Many organizations are privy to holiday party legends – some good, some bad. As the holiday season unfolds, companies throughout the Puget Sound region are once again preparing to celebrate […]

In responding to an unfair labor practice charge alleging an “alter ego” relationship between a Union entity and a non-Union employer, an Administrative Law Judge recently ruled that a marital relationship between the owners of two businesses did not necessarily create […]

On September 13, 2018, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced that it will be proposing a new regulation that will make it more challenging to establish a joint employer relationship under theNational Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Joint employment status can have a significant impact […]

On August 23, 2018, the Washington Supreme Court reaffirmed the maxim that “no good deed goes unpunished.” In Hill v. Garda CL Northwest, Inc., a class of armored car drivers and messengers filed a class action against the company claiming that they did not receive their […]

The Trump National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) has signaled that promanagement changes to the use of company email systems, and perhaps other types of communications on company-owned devices, such as
instant messages, text, and posts […]