The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has filed a Proposed Rulemaking (CR-102) to implement changes to the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA). These updates align with Substitute House Bill 1905 (SHB 1905), passed in 2024, which expands protections against pay and promotion discrimination beyond gender to include race, creed, military status, and other protected classes.
The proposed rules provide clarity on key aspects of EPOA, including:
- Pay equality requirements
- Employees’ right to discuss wages freely
- Wage and salary history privacy
- Required disclosure of salary ranges and benefits in job postings
- Protections against retaliation
- L&I’s enforcement and citation process
L&I is accepting written comments on the proposed rules until March 19, 2025, at 5 p.m. PST. Comments can be submitted by mail to Reed Simock at the WA State Department of Labor & Industries, Fraud Prevention and Labor Standards Division, PO Box 44510, Olympia, WA 98504-4510. Comments may also be sent via email or faxed to 360-902-5300.
