Dear friends and neighbors,

Washington is consistently ranked as one of the best places to work and run a business. In 2024, Oxfam ranked Washington the fourth-best place to work, and CNBC ranked the state among the top 10 for business. We are the only state to make the top 10 in both lists.

In the 2025 session, the Legislature passed several new laws to create more equitable workplaces. We expanded collective bargaining rights; allowed access to unemployment insurance for striking and locked-out workers; and broadened the pool of industries in which workers have the right to collective bargaining. Several measures will also increase worker protections and expand access to paid family and medical leave benefits.

Improving worker protections and safety

  • SB 5041 authorizes up to six weeks of unemployment benefits for striking and locked-out workers in certain circumstances. Unemployment benefits will provide a backstop of partial wage replacement in rare cases where a strike lasts longer than several weeks. We included important safeguards, such as a 10-year sunset, annual data collection and reporting, and a two- to three-week waiting period before benefits become available. This legislation will help level the playing field between employers and workers when negotiating contracts.
  • HB 1308 facilitates worker access to their own information by requiring private employers to provide employees or former employees with a copy of their personnel file and, if applicable, discharge information. This is an important tool for employees to enforce their rights to benefits such as unemployment and to assist them in their job search.
  • SB 5463 applies the duty of good faith and fair dealing to all workers’ compensation self-insurers and third-party administrators. These protections prohibit businesses from engaging in intentional or coercive practices that inhibit the use of workers’ compensation. This is the same standard auto insurance companies owe to Washingtonians. This policy ensures Washingtonians get the benefits they need to return to work.
  • SB 5525 enacts a state-level version of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which provides protections for employees subject to plant closings or mass layoffs. Employers with 50 or more employees are required to provide 60 days’ notice prior to a business closing or mass layoff. This notice helps maintain protections amid uncertain federal action and allows employees to take steps for economic security.
  • HB 1747 updates Washington’s Fair Chance Employment Act, also known as “Ban the Box.” The law still allows employers to run background checks, but only as part of a conditional offer of employment. These regulations provide a fair chance at employment and promote long-term stability and well-being.
  • HB 1644 establishes minimum penalties for violations of restrictions governing the employment of minors. The Department of Labor & Industries will conduct in-person safety consultations before granting a student learner variance for hazardous work typically prohibited based on the minor’s age. Permits to employ minors can be revoked following serious or dangerous violations. Together, these protections ensure minors can continue to work but with greater caution to prevent workplace accidents, benefiting both minors and employers.
  • HB 1213 extends job protection in the Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) program to employees who began employment with their current employer at least 180 calendar days before taking leave. This policy is phased in to apply to all employers with eight or more employees by Jan. 1, 2029. Recent studies show employees at smaller firms — more likely to be women and people of color — are less likely to use PFML due to lack of job protection. These protections will ensure those who pay into the program have equitable opportunities to utilize its benefits.
  • SB 5217 expands pregnancy and postpartum accommodations and protections at work. Employers must make reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers and are prohibited from taking adverse actions against them. New protections include paid break and travel time necessary to express milk during work hours. A person breastfeeding or expressing milk for an infant under 24 months may also be excused from jury service under these circumstances.
  • HB 1524 bolsters protections for employees working in isolated and sometimes dangerous situations by adding enforcement provisions for employers who fail to comply with state law. The Department of Labor & Industries will investigate violations and assess penalties to ensure employers take steps to keep isolated employees safe.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. If you missed my newsletters on public education, housing, community projects, transportation, environmental protections, LGBTQ rights, or public safety, they are available on my website. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions at Jamie.Pedersen@leg.wa.gov.

Best wishes,

Jamie