Title 49 — Title 49 LABOR REGULATIONS

(1) After January 1, 2024, any contractor, including subcontractors, with the state for public works or for goods or services is subject to the nondiscrimination requirements of this section and any rules and regulations to implement it.(2) Every state contract and subcontract fo…

(1) A place of public accommodation that is a motion picture theater shall provide access to fully operational and well–maintained closed captioning technology for the general public for each screening of a motion picture that is produced and available with closed captioning as r…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 1155-S.SL) ***The legislature finds that:(1) Workforce mobility is important to economic growth and development;(2) Agreements limiting competition or hiring may be contracts of adhesion that may be unreasonable; and(3) The provisions in this chapter f…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 1155-S.SL) ***The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Earnings" means the compensation reflected on box one of the employee's United States internal revenue service form W-2 that …

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 1155-S.SL) ***(1) A noncompetition covenant is void and unenforceable:(a)(i) Unless the employer discloses the terms of the covenant in writing to the prospective employee no later than the time of the initial oral or written acceptance of the offer of…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 1155-S.SL) ***(1) A noncompetition covenant is void and unenforceable against an independent contractor unless the independent contractor's earnings from the party seeking enforcement exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars per year. This dollar amou…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 1155-S.SL) ***The dollar amounts specified in RCW 49.62.020 and 49.62.030 must be adjusted annually for inflation. Annually on September 30th the department of labor and industries must adjust the dollar amounts specified in this section by calculating…

A provision in a noncompetition covenant signed by an employee or independent contractor who is Washington-based is void and unenforceable:(1) If the covenant requires the employee or independent contractor to adjudicate a noncompetition covenant outside of this state;(2) To the …

(1) No franchisor may restrict, restrain, or prohibit in any way a franchisee from soliciting or hiring any employee of a franchisee of the same franchisor.(2) No franchisor may restrict, restrain, or prohibit in any way a franchisee from soliciting or hiring any employee of the …

(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, an employer may not restrict, restrain, or prohibit an employee earning less than twice the applicable state minimum hourly wage from having an additional job, supplementing their income by working for another employer, working as an…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 1155-S.SL) ***(1) Upon a violation of this chapter, the attorney general, on behalf of a person or persons, may pursue any and all relief. A person aggrieved by a noncompetition covenant may bring a cause of action to pursue any and all relief provided…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 1155-S.SL) ***(1)(a) Subject to (b) of this subsection, this chapter displaces conflicting tort, restitutionary, contract, including contract principles relating to discharge by assent or alteration, and other laws of this state pertaining to liability…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 1155-S.SL) ***This chapter applies to all proceedings commenced on or after January 1, 2020, regardless of when the cause of action arose. To this extent, this chapter applies retroactively, but in all other respects it applies prospectively.[ 2019 c 2…

This chapter is an exercise of the state's police power and shall be construed liberally for the accomplishment of its purposes.[ 2019 c 299 s 12.]

This act takes effect January 1, 2020.[ 2019 c 299 s 13.]

Any trust heretofore or hereafter created for the purposes and of the type enumerated in RCW 49.64.020, whether in real or personal property or in real and personal property, may continue for such time as may be necessary to accomplish the purposes of the trust and shall not be i…

Trusts which are entitled to the exemption from limitation as to their duration provided for in RCW 49.64.010 must be:(1) Created by an employer primarily for the benefit of some or all of the employees of such employer or the families or appointees of such employees, under any p…

Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 26.16.030, whenever payment or refund is made to an employee, former employee, or his or her beneficiary or estate pursuant to and in full compliance with a written retirement, death, or other employee benefit plan or savings plan, such payme…

(1) Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, in this section "dental care assistance plan" means any plan of dental insurance offered by an insurer as defined by chapter 48.01 RCW and any agreement for dental care benefits entered into or renewed after January 1, 1989, prov…

It is the public policy of the state to expedite the settlement of labor disputes arising in connection with health care activities, in order that there may be no lessening, however temporary, in the quality of the care given to patients. It is the legislative purpose by this cha…

As used in this chapter:(1) "Health care activity" includes any hospital, nursing home, institution, agency or establishment, exclusive of those operated by the state, its municipalities, or political subdivisions, having for one of its principal purposes the preservation of heal…

An employee association shall be deemed the properly designated representative of a bargaining unit when it can show evidence that bargaining rights have been assigned to it by a majority of the employees in the bargaining unit. Should questions arise concerning the representativ…

It shall be deemed an unfair labor practice, and unlawful, for any health care activity to:(1) Interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in any manner in the exercise of their right of self-organization: PROVIDED, That the expressing of any views, argument, or opinion, or the …

It shall be an unfair labor practice and unlawful, for any employee organization or its agent to:(1) Restrain or coerce (a) employees in the exercise of their right to refrain from self-organization, or (b) an employer in the selection of its representatives for purposes of colle…

No employee organization, bargaining representative, person, or employee shall authorize, sanction, engage in, or participate in a strike (including but not limited to a concerted work stoppage of any kind, concerted slowdown or concerted refusal or failure to report for work or …

The director or any employee organization qualified to apply for an election under RCW 49.66.030 as now or hereafter amended or any employer may maintain in its name or in the name of its members legal action in any county in which jurisdiction of the employer or employee organiz…

The director shall have the power to make such rules and regulations not inconsistent with this chapter, including the establishment of procedures for the hearing and determination of charges alleging unfair labor practices, and for a determination on application by either party …

In the event that a health care activity and an employees' bargaining unit shall reach an impasse, the matters in dispute shall be submitted to a board of arbitration composed of three arbitrators for final and binding resolution. The board shall be selected in the following mann…

The arbitration board, acting through its chair, shall call a hearing to be held within ten days after the date of the appointment of the chair. The board shall conduct public or private hearings. Reasonable notice of such hearings shall be given to the parties who shall appear a…

In making its determination, the board of arbitrators shall be mindful of the legislative purpose enumerated in RCW 49.66.010 and as additional standards or guidelines to aid it in reaching a decision, it shall take into consideration the following factors:(1) Wage rates or other…

The arbitrator so selected by the parties shall be paid at the daily rate or rates not to exceed the usual or customary rates paid to arbitrators in addition to travel expenses at the rates provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 as now existing or hereafter amended. Such sums to…

If any portion of this chapter, or its application to any particular health care activity or class of health care activity, should be held invalid, the remainder of the chapter, or its application to other health care activities, or other classes thereof, shall not be affected.[ …

The legislature finds and declares that the proliferation of hazardous substances in the environment poses a growing threat to the public health, safety, and welfare; that the constantly increasing number and variety of hazardous substances, and the many routes of exposure to the…

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.(1) "Department" means the department of labor and industries.(2) "Employee" means an employee of an employer who is employed in the business of his or her employer whethe…

An employee or employee representative may request, in writing, from the employer, a copy of a workplace survey or a material safety data sheet, filed pursuant to this chapter for the employee's work area. The employer shall supply this material within three working days of the r…

(1) The department shall prepare and make available to employers or the public, upon request, a translation in any of the five most common foreign languages used in the workplace, of a written hazard communication program, a material safety data sheet, or written materials prepar…

No employer may discharge, cause to be discharged, or otherwise discipline, penalize, or discriminate against any employee because the employee or the employee's representative has exercised any right established in this chapter. The discrimination provisions of chapter 49.17 RCW…

(1) An employer shall provide employees engaged in agricultural production of crops or livestock or agricultural services with information and training on hazardous chemicals in their workplace at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new hazard is introduced into …

(1) An employer who applies pesticides in connection with the production of an agricultural crop, or who causes pesticides to be applied in connection with such production, shall keep records for each application, which shall include the following information:(a) The location of …

The department shall produce educational brochures and public service announcements detailing information available to citizens under this chapter. These educational materials shall be sent to each county health department. As necessary, the department shall provide information n…

A person may bring a civil action on his or her own behalf against a manufacturer, supplier, employer, or user to compel compliance with the provisions of this chapter or any rule promulgated under this chapter subject to the provisions of Title 51 RCW. The superior court shall h…

The department may request from an employer submitting surveys to it further information concerning the surveys, and the employer shall provide the additional information upon the request. The employer may require the department to provide reasons why further information is neede…

(1) The department shall adopt rules in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW establishing criteria for evaluating the validity of trade secret claims and procedures for issuing a trade secret exemption. Manufacturers or importers that make a trade secret claim to the department must…

(1) The worker and community right to know fund is hereby established in the custody of the state treasurer. The department shall deposit all moneys received under this chapter in the fund. Moneys in the fund may be spent only for the purposes of this chapter following legislativ…

Funds in the worker and community right to know fund established under RCW 49.70.170 may be spent by the department of ecology to implement RCW 70A.415.020 (1) through (3) following legislative appropriation. Disbursements from the fund shall be on authorization of the director o…

If payment of any fee assessed under RCW 49.70.170 is not received by the department by the due date, there shall be assessed a penalty of five percent of the amount of the fee. If the fee is not received within thirty days after the due date, there shall be assessed a total pena…

Unless reference is specifically made to another chapter, this chapter shall be implemented and enforced including penalties, violations, citations, and other administrative procedures pursuant to chapter 49.17 RCW.[ 1984 c 289 s 25.]

If a manufacturer, supplier, employer, or user refuses or fails to provide the department with any data sheets, workplace surveys, or other papers, documents, or information required by this chapter, the department may give written notice to the manufacturer, supplier, employer, …

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the department, after consultation with the department of agriculture, shall adopt any rules necessary to carry out its responsibilities under this chapter.[ 1984 c 289 s 27.]

(1) It is the intent of the legislature that this chapter shall not apply to products that are generally made available to the noncommercial consumer: PROVIDED, That such "consumer" products used by employees in the workplace are used in substantially the same manner, form, and c…