The heatwave that hit western North America last month brought the region some of the hottest temperatures in recorded history. On June 28, 2021, Seattle hit a temperature of 108 degrees—the highest ever recorded in the city. Soon after, the weather station at the Mayfield Power Plant in Lewis County…
Effective July 1, 2021, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) will apply a 10.1 percent cost-of-living increase to time-loss, pension, and loss-of-earning power benefits. This is the single largest year-over-year increase in the average wage in Washington in recorded history. 2021-2022: Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) and Workers’ Comp Benefits The…
The COVID-19 pandemic put a significant strain on our healthcare workers and frontline workers. The Washington State Department of Health reports that more than 430,000 people have been infected with the virus statewide since the start of the pandemic. Healthcare workers and frontline workers have additional risks of exposure—and many…
On April 15th, 2021, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced that new workplace safety regulations for temporary workers are coming later this summer. Governor Jay Inslee has signed SHB 1206, a law designed to help protect our state’s temporary workers. In a “first-of-its-kind” law in the…
Daily life is getting more expensive in our region. As announced by the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD), the average annual wage in Washington increased by 6.7 percent in the 2019 calendar year—from $65,301 to $69,700. It is the largest one-year increase in Washington in more than two decades….
The COVID-19 outbreak has radically disrupted life in our region. As of June 15th, the Washington State Department of Health reports that 26,531 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the state. While the pandemic is not over, there is some good news: we are finally starting to see signs of…
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is a fast-spreading disease that poses a serious risk to most people, but especially to older adults, people with underlying medical conditions, and healthcare and frontline workers. The Washington State Department of Health reports that more than 17,600 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in this State as…
Many of our clients and those in our communities are being affected by the recent spread of COVID-19. In light of the impact in Washington State, our governor has issued a number of emergency orders to expand state benefits to workers in our state. The Employment Security Department has put…
As of March 16th, 2020, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reports that more than 167,500 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed worldwide. Originating in Hubei Province, the virus—officially known as COVID-19—has spread all around the globe, with communities in China, South Korea, and Northern Italy being hit the…
We are excited to announce that Caroline Golshan has accepted our offer to join The Walthew Law Firm as an associate attorney! Ms. Golshan joined the firm as a law clerk in 2018 after her first year in law school. Following a fellowship with the WSAJ Summer Fellowship Program, she…