Employment Law in Motion
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Washington State Minimum Wage Updates for 2027, Including Local Governments Exceeding the State’s Minimum Wage
Oct 27, 2026
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Washington State has announced its new minimum wage, exempt salary level, and other compensation levels for 2027. All of the following will be in effect as of January 1, 2027:
Washington State minimum wage: $17.73 per hour
To be exempt f...
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Oregon Court of Appeals Caps Wage-Deduction Damages, Reaffirms Class Action “Cure:” What Winn v. Blakeslee Vineyard Estate, Inc. Means for Oregon Employers
Sep 23, 2026
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On September 10, 2026, the Oregon Court of Appeals handed Oregon employers a meaningful win in Winn v. Blakeslee Vineyard Estate, Inc., 352 Or App 803 (2026). The court held that the $200 statutory damage for unlawful paycheck deductions applies per...
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Oregon and Washington Wage-and-Hour Compliance: Common Pitfalls and How to Prevent Them
Jul 15, 2026
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As discussed in our companion article, “California’s Wage-and-Hour Playbook Has Arrived in the Pacific Northwest,” filings against Washington and Oregon employers are increasing, and California-style class-action litigation is becoming the new norm i...
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California’s Wage-and-Hour Litigation Playbook Has Arrived in the Pacific Northwest
Jul 09, 2026
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For years, wage-and-hour class actions were something Washington and Oregon employers watched happen to their California counterparts from a comfortable distance. That distance has closed. Filings against Pacific Northwest employers are climbing, and...
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Form 5500 Filing Season: What Plan Sponsors Need to Know Before They Sign
July 31 is approaching – and for most calendar year plans, that is the un-extended deadline to file IRS Form 5500. Now is the time for plan sponsors to be actively reviewing draft filings with their professional advisors.
The Form 5500 is an annual f...
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Severance Programs and ERISA: What Employers Need to Know
Before employers roll out a new severance program, they should ask one additional question: Are we unintentionally creating an ERISA plan?
The more administratively complex a severance program is, the more likely it is to fall under the Employee Ret...
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