A newly passed Washington law protects employees from coercion in the workplace based on immigration status. Employers are prohibited from coercing an employee in furtherance of the employer committing a violation of wage payment, condition of labor, or agricultural labor requirements under state law.
“Coercion” in this context means a threat to compel or induce a person to engage in conduct which the person has a legal right to abstain from, or to abstain from conduct in which the person has a legal right to engage in.
“Threat” means any implicit or explicit communication specifically pertaining to an employee’s or an employee’s family member’s immigration status that is made by the employer to deter an employee from engaging in protected activities or exercising their rights under state laws related to wage payments, conditions of labor, or agricultural labor requirements.
The law includes monetary penalties for violations, and goes into effect on July 1, 2025.
