New Domestic Violence and Military Spouse Leave Expand Washington Employees' Right to Time Off

May 2008
Employment Law Notes
In this year’s short session, the Washington legislature added two new forms of leave to the already-existing constellation of grounds for protected time off work. First, leave must now be provided to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking (“domestic violence” or “abuse”) and their family members. Second, all employers must permit spouses of deployed military personnel to take leave under specified circumstances, and public employers must now provide up to 21 days of paid military leave. The two new forms of leave are broad in their application—each applies to all employers in Washington, public or private, regardless of their size.