Listen up, bosses and business folks in Washington: your employer handbook just got packed with new laws. The state legislature has unleashed a buffet of changes, and your HR department may need to pull an all-nighter with a triple-shot espresso to catch up on everything to avoid a panic attack! There are a lot of new dishes on this buffet, so you'll want to do your research and learn which ones affect you most, but here are a few just to give a preview.
Here are Five Fast Facts on new laws kicking in soon (or recently):
- 🚫 No Sneaky Layoffs - Starting July 27, 2025, if your company is planning to fire 50+ folks, you've got to give 60 days’ notice. It's like a not-so-fun breakup text -- but way more formal -- and even if someone’s on medical leave, they’re not out of the group chat unless it's really justified.
- 👀 Peek at Your Files, Employees! - Workers now get to see what's in their personnel file. Employers, you get 21 days to respond or face penalties. How was this not a thing before?!
- 👍 Paid Family Leave Gets a Makeover - Employees now only need 180 days on the job to get job-protected leave, down from a crazy 1,250 hours—basically, you barely unpack your lunchbox before you’re covered! Plus, bosses can’t let workers stack leave like pancakes, and must warn them in writing or risk a grumpy employee comeback.
- ❓ Don’t Judge on Criminal History...Yet - Employers can’t ask about criminal records until you've made a conditional job offer. It’s like dating - don’t bring up exes on the first date. Especially not before the “Will you hire me?” text is sent.
- 📝 Sick Leave for Immigration Matters - Employees can now skip work for immigration stuff and still get paid. A letter from an attorney or advocacy group works - no doctor note needed. It's like skipping school for an important mission, without getting marked absent.
🔥Bottom line: In the end, Washington’s new laws are like adding extra rules to a dodgeball game - great for protecting players, but tough for the coaches guiding their teams! Employers are juggling more paperwork than a kid with a backpack full of homework, and they’ve gotta adapt or face penalties stickier than gum under a desk. If bosses don’t get the hang of these changes, they might need their own time-out to figure it all out!
Do any of these new laws concern you?
Let us know by connecting with us on Facebook and Instagram! Also, remember to share this newsletter with your friends & coworkers!
BTW, If you’ve read this far and haven’t yet signed up for the weekly Paycheckology newsletter, CLICK HERE!
