The Washington state legislature has added protected classes to the state’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act. The Act currently prohibits wage discrimination due only to gender.
Under the amended Act, employers are additionally prohibited from engaging in wage discrimination due to person’s:
- age,
- sex,
- marital status,
- sexual orientation,
- race,
- creed,
- color,
- national origin,
- citizenship or immigration status,
- honorably discharged veteran or military status, or
- the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.
Click here for more information. The amended Act is effective July 1, 2025.
