Labor & Employment

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1184: Creating a narrow exemption from overtime provisions for certain nonprofits and small businesses.

HB 1184 creates a new exemption from Washington state's overtime rules for certain nonprofit organizations and small businesses. It allows these entities to classify some salaried employees as exempt if they earn at least 1.5 times the state minimum wage for a 40-hour workweek ($30.90/hour in 2025, based on $15.45/hour minimum wage) and meet specific duties criteria. The exemption specifically covers nonprofits with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees (or those providing essential services like shelters requiring 24/7 staffing) and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. This change aims to address concerns that the upcoming 2028 overtime salary threshold ($93,000 annually) would force these organizations to reclassify staff or increase pay, potentially jeopardizing their ability to serve communities. The bill does not alter overtime rules for most other employers or industries.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentCreates exemption from overtime rules for nonprofits/small businesses, removing key worker protection. Sets minimum wage threshold but weakens overtime eligibility for covered employees.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1831: Allowing for corrections to wage and salary disclosures.

HB 1831 requires employers with 15 or more employees to disclose wage ranges and benefits in all job postings, including internal transfers and promotions. It adds a 10-day correction window for employers to fix posting errors after receiving written notice from applicants or employees, preventing penalties if corrected within that time. The bill amends Washington’s existing wage transparency law (RCW 49.58.110) to clarify this correction process. It directly affects employers and job seekers in Washington state by standardizing disclosure requirements and reducing enforcement penalties for minor, fixable errors.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires wage range disclosure in job postings, strengthening transparency for workers and preventing penalties for minor errors in compliance.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

Track

signed · Washington · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 5501: Concerning employer requirements for driving.

Substitute Senate Bill 5501 prohibits employers from requiring a valid driver's license as a condition of employment or in job postings, unless driving is an essential job function or related to a legitimate business purpose. This law directly affects employers and job applicants in Washington state. The bill establishes a process for the director to investigate complaints, allowing for orders of actual and statutory damages (at least $5,000), interest, and investigation costs to the complainant. Employers may also face civil penalties of up to $500 for a first violation and up to $1,000 or 10% of damages for repeat offenses.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits unnecessary driver's license requirements in hiring, protecting applicants from discriminatory barriers and advancing workers' rights under Labor & Employment standards.95% confidence

Tags Licensing

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1672: Addressing technology used by employers in the workplace.

HB 1672 restricts how Washington employers can use technology to monitor employees, requiring clear notice and limiting monitoring to specific, necessary purposes. Employers must provide 15 days' written notice detailing the monitoring method, purpose, data usage, and access rules before implementation, and can only use electronic monitoring for essential job functions, safety, production tracking, or compensation calculation. The law explicitly protects sensitive employee data, including health information like gender-affirming care, reproductive health, and biometric details, preventing misuse for employment decisions. It directly affects all Washington employees subject to workplace technology monitoring, ensuring transparency and limiting invasive practices.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRestricts employer monitoring tech with notice requirements and data protections, advancing worker privacy and safety rights as defined in Labor & Employment topic.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRestricts employer monitoring to protect employee data privacy, requiring notice and limiting data collection per bill requirements.95% confidence

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1635: Concerning the composition of the boards of directors of consumer cooperatives and cooperative associations.

HB 1635 requires large consumer cooperatives (with 2,500+ global employees) to reserve two board seats for nonsupervisory, nonmanagerial employees. These employees must be selected by majority vote among all such workers, and they cannot vote on wage, benefit, or employment condition decisions affecting their group. The bill amends Washington’s cooperative association laws to implement this board composition requirement, applying only to qualifying large cooperatives. It does not affect smaller cooperatives or change general board election rules.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates worker representation on cooperative boards via elected nonsupervisory employees, enhancing worker voice in governance per labor rights standards without restricting employment conditions.85% confidence

Track

signed · Washington · House Apr 24, 2025

HB 1270: Concerning automatic deferred compensation enrollment for county, municipal, and other political subdivision employees.

HB 1270 allows counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions to automatically enroll their new employees into deferred compensation plans. This applies to eligible new employees, whether they are joining the state's deferred compensation plan or a local government's own plan. Employees who are automatically enrolled will have the option to opt out if they choose. This bill provides local governments with the mechanism to streamline enrollment in retirement savings programs for their workforce.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAutomatically enrolls employees in retirement savings with opt-out, expanding retirement benefits without mandating participation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Retirement Benefits

passed · Washington · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 5061: Requiring certain wages in public works contracts to be at least the prevailing wage in effect when the work is performed.

Senate Bill 5061 changes how wages are determined for laborers, workers, and mechanics on public works projects in Washington state. It requires that the hourly minimum wage paid on these contracts must be adjusted to the prevailing rate of wage in effect at the time the work is performed. This means wages will no longer be frozen at the rate from when project bids were submitted, but will update according to current prevailing wage adjustments published by the Department of Labor and Industries. The bill aims to ensure fair labor standards for workers throughout the duration of public construction projects.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires public works wages to update to current prevailing rates, preventing wage stagnation and protecting worker compensation under Labor & Employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1387: Concerning the prevailing wages on public works.

HB 1387 changes how prevailing wages are set for public construction projects in Washington. It requires the state to use existing collective bargaining agreement rates for unionized trades until May 31, 2027, and then adopt the rate covering the majority of workers (or the most workers if no majority exists) for most trades starting June 1, 2027. Shipbuilding and ship repair trades will use the highest available collective bargaining rate in a county for all contracts after 2027. This directly affects public works contractors and unionized construction workers, ensuring wage rates align with actual union agreements rather than wage surveys in most cases.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates use of collective bargaining rates for unionized trades until 2027, preserving union wage standards and supporting worker bargaining power.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Labor Standards

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5293: Concerning the prevailing wages on public works.

SB 5293 updates Washington's public works wage rules for construction projects. Until May 2027, it requires using the highest wage from union contracts in a county. After June 2027, it mandates adopting the wage rate covering the majority of workers in a trade (or the most common rate if no majority exists), with an appeal process for disputes. Shipbuilding and ship repair maintain a separate rule using the highest union rate. The bill directly affects construction workers and contractors on state-funded public projects.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires highest union wage rates for public works construction, protecting worker pay and supporting collective bargaining standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Labor Standards

Track

signed · Washington · House Apr 25, 2025

HB 1875: Allowing the use of paid sick leave to prepare for or participate in certain immigration proceedings.

Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1875 expands the reasons for which employees in Washington state can use their accrued paid sick leave. It allows employees to use this leave to prepare for or participate in judicial or administrative immigration proceedings for themselves or a family member. For absences exceeding three days for this purpose, employees can provide verification through documentation from an immigration advocate, attorney, or clergy, or a written statement from the employee, without disclosing sensitive immigration status details. The bill ensures that employees can attend these proceedings without losing pay.

Topics ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationExpands paid sick leave for immigration proceedings, enabling access to legal services without wage loss. Directly supports immigrant rights and access to proceedings.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands paid sick leave usage for immigration proceedings, directly strengthening worker benefits and rights under employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave