Washington Retail has published a helpful members-only report on several new state employment laws that human resources departments should know and obey. They pertain to hiring, payroll and employment practices.

Our goal is to keep small retailers up to speed with changes in state law the past couple of years.

One of the most significant new laws replaces the Equal Pay Act with the Equal Pay and Opportunity Act (EPOA) to protect employees from pay and career advancement discrimination based on gender.

Due to the growing number of states and cities adopting different versions of an equal pay law, human resource experts recommend adopting a broad policy of compensation transparency and salary-negotiation practice that transcends state boundaries. In today’s competitive workforce environment, smart employers will do well to focus conversations with candidates on their salary expectations rather than salary history, giving attention to job seekers’ quality and experience and place salary ranges in job advertisements to attract qualified applicants.

To obtain the report, please contact Terry Hopsecger, Director of Business Development, including comments or questions, at 360-200-6453 or [email protected].