The 2025 legislative session ended on April 27, 2025, with Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signing a number of employment-related payments into legislation. We individually reported on three of these payments in our final e-newsletter (enlargement of the Honest Likelihood Act, paid depart for immigration proceedings, and prohibition of driver’s license necessities); at this time’s e-newsletter consists of particular person articles on two extra vital payments (new necessities for personnel information and Washington’s mini-WARN Act). Under are a number of extra payments of curiosity to employers.
SHB 1121 (working hours for 16- and 17-year-olds): Requires the Division of Labor and Industries (L&I) to permit 16- and 17-year-olds enrolled in a profession and technical program via an accredited employer to work the identical variety of hours and days through the faculty 12 months as can be permitted throughout faculty holidays or holidays (“non-school week hours”). This invoice takes impact July 1, 2026. We can be updating our Authorized Information, Youngster Labor Legal guidelines.
ESHB 1644 (security and well being of working minors): Establishes minimal penalties for violations of restrictions governing the employment of minors in non-agricultural and agricultural industries. Requires L&I to revoke an employer’s minor work allow if the employer dedicated a severe, willful, or ongoing security or well being violation or little one labor violation that brought about dying or severe bodily hurt to a minor or that required an order of fast restraint. The brand new legislation additionally requires L&I to conduct a security and well being session at a worksite earlier than granting a student-learner variance permitting a minor to carry out work sometimes prohibited based mostly on the minor’s age. This invoice takes impact July 1, 2026. We can be updating our Authorized Information, Youngster Labor Legal guidelines accordingly.
ESHB 1141 (collective bargaining for agricultural hashish staff): Creates collective bargaining procedures for sure agricultural staff concerned with hashish manufacturing and processing. The legislation additionally authorizes the Public Employment Relations Fee to manage and implement these procedures. This invoice takes impact July 27, 2025.
SSHB 1524 (office requirements for sure remoted workers): Requires L&I to implement sure security necessities for lodge, motel, retail, safety guard, or property providers employers of remoted workers (together with janitors, safety guards, lodge or motel housekeepers, or room service attendants who spend 50% of their work time with no coworker current). The legislation additionally makes the failure to supply a panic button and coaching to an remoted worker an unfair follow underneath the Washington Legislation Towards Discrimination. This invoice takes impact January 1, 2026.
SHB 1821 (definition of get together for prevailing wage legal guidelines): Requires an employer’s licensed payroll data to be offered to an “ get together” for functions of implementing prevailing wage necessities. “ get together” is expanded to incorporate joint labor-management cooperation committees and Taft-Harley trusts. The requirement to supply licensed payroll data to an get together takes impact July 27, 2025, whereas the enlargement of the definition of get together takes impact on January 1, 2026.
SSB 5104 (safety from coercion based mostly on immigration standing): Imposes a civil penalty and requires L&I to analyze an employer that coerces an worker based mostly on an worker’s or an worker’s member of the family’s immigration standing in furtherance of the employer committing a violation of wage fee, situation of labor, or agricultural labor necessities. This invoice takes impact July 1, 2025.
Suggestions: We can be internet hosting a webinar this summer time to assist employers perceive the quite a few payments that got here out of the Washington legislature this session. Watch our e-newsletter for occasion particulars coming quickly. Within the meantime members can contact their Vigilant Legislation Group employment lawyer with any questions on how these newly signed payments could have an effect on your office.
