Washington Expands the Equal Pay & Opportunities Act

Washington’s Equal Pay & Opportunities Act currently protects women from pay disparities and impediments to advancement opportunities. Beginning July 1, 2025, the protections are expanded to all protected groups. Employers may not offer disparate compensation for similarly situated employees unless there is a legitimate reason for doing so that is unrelated to the affected employee membership in any protected group. Employers continue to be restricted from prohibiting employees’ open discussion of wages and must comply with limitations related to information that may be obtained during interviews and requirements for job postings, among other issues addressed in the Act.

Changes to the Equal Pay & Opportunities Act may be found here.