NewsBrief

Special Compliance Edition: Essential Reminders for New & Upcoming Employment Laws

A collection of articles designed to recap crucial employment laws effective July and Fall 2025.

In This Issue:

• Oregon Employment Law Updates

• July 1, 2025 - Oregon Minimum Wage Rates Increased

• Late September 2025 - Oregon's Upcoming Employment Law Changes

• Washington Employment Law Updates

• July 1, 2025 - Washington's Equal Pay and Opportunities Act Expansion

• July 27, 2025 - New Washington Employment Laws Take Effect

• Hot Compliance Question

Oregon Employment Law Updates

July 1, 2025 - Oregon Minimum Wage Rates Increased

Cascade Compliance Team
compliance@cascadeemployers.com

As a reminder, Oregon's new minimum wage rates went into effect on July 1^st. The rates are as follows:

• Standard Minimum Wage: $15.05 per hour
• Portland Metro Minimum Wage*: $16.30 per hour
• Non-Urban Minimum Wage**: $14.05 per hour

*Portland Metro Minimum Wage: Applies to work locations within the urban growth boundary, and generally includes Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties. To see if an exact address qualifies, click here.

**Non-Urban Counties: Baker, Coos, Crook, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler.

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Late September 2025 - Oregon’s Upcoming Employment Law Changes

Cascade Compliance Team
compliance@cascadeemployers.com

With the 2025 Oregon legislative session having adjourned at the end of June*, several key employment law bills are set to take effect in late September, approximately 91 days after the session's conclusion. As discussed in last month’s NewsBrief, here are brief summary reminders of these new laws:

HB 3187 - Relating to Age-Based Employment Discrimination.

• This law expands age discrimination protections by prohibiting employers and employment agencies from asking job applicants for their age, date of birth, or educational attendance/graduation dates during the initial hiring stages. These inquiries can only be made after completing an initial interview, or if there is no initial interview, prior to making a conditional offer of employment. Exceptions apply when confirming bona fide occupational qualifications or ensuring compliance with federal, state, or local laws.

SB 69 – Regarding Job-Protected Leave.

• This law amends Paid Leave Oregon (PLO) and the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) with several technical and administrative changes aimed to clarify, streamline, and align the leave laws for both employers and employees. Specifically, SB 69 assigns the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) administrative and regulatory authority over job protection, retaliation, and discrimination provisions within PLO; clarifies the definition of "child" under OFLA sick child leave; specifies OFLA sick child leave due to school or childcare closures during public health emergencies can begin without prior notice; permits Oregon Sick Leave use for any PLO-qualifying purpose; and allows employers to require return-to-work certifications after medical leave.

Oregon employers should update their forms, templates, policies, and procedures for compliance and train supervisors on upcoming laws prior to the late September effective dates.

* Please note: This article was drafted for publication prior to the conclusion of the legislative session.  We will send an update with the official dates once they are finalized.

For a comprehensive and in-depth review of the above bills and all other Oregon employment laws passed during the 2025 session, be sure to register for Cascade's webinar, "Legislative Update: Oregon's 2025 Employment Law Changes," on July 10th from 11 AM to 12 PM. An additional Oregon Legislative Update publication will follow.

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Washington Employment Law Updates

July 1, 2025 - Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act Expansion

Cascade Compliance Team
compliance@cascadeemployers.com

As a reminder, looking back to Washington’s 2024 Legislative Session, HB 1905 was passed expanding the state’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA). Effective since July 1, 2025, protections under Washington’s EPOA expanded beyond gender to cover all protected classes.

In general, Washington's EPOA broadly prohibits all Washington employers from discriminating against employees regarding pay and career advancement based on any protected class. This means that pay differentials or career advancement for individuals with similar jobs in skill, effort and responsibility can only occur if based on justifiable factors, including differences in education, training, or experience; seniority; merit and/or work performance; production quantity or quality.  For pay differentials only, justifiable factors also include regional differences in compensation; differences in local minimum wages; and/or job-related factors consistent with business need.

For Washington employers, if you have not done so already, make sure your policies and procedures concerning EPOA are updated to reflect this change.

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July 27, 2025 - New Washington Employment Laws Take Effect

Cascade's Compliance Team
compliance@cascadeemployers.com

You may recall that Washington State's 2025 legislative session enacted numerous employment-related bills. Below are brief summaries of the key employment laws effective July 27th:

HB 1308 – Concerning Access to Personnel Records.

• This law expands employee rights regarding personnel records. Washington employers must now provide current or former employees (separated within 3 years) copies of their personnel files within 21 days at no cost and, if asked by a former employee, a signed statement explaining their discharge.

SB 5408 – Allowing for Corrections to Wage and Salary Disclosures.

• This law amends Washington's Equal Pay and Opportunities Act. Employers may now list a fixed pay amount in job postings if only one rate is offered, including for internal transfers. The law clarifies that “postings” do not include those duplicated without the employer’s consent. Additionally, until July 27, 2027, employers have five business days to correct non-compliant postings after receiving notice, allowing them to avoid penalties.

SB 5525 – Concerning Employment Loss Due to Businesses Closing or Mass Layoffs.

• This law establishes new requirements, similar to the federal WARN Act, but with broader employee protections. Before a business closure or mass layoff, Washington employers with 50 or more full-time employees must provide at least 60 days' written notice to both affected employees and the Employment Security Department (ESD). The notice must include specific details about the action and affected job titles.

HB 1875 – Allowing the Use of Paid Sick Leave to Prepare for or Participate in Certain Immigration Proceedings.

• This law expands Washington’s Paid Sick Leave law, allowing employees to take paid sick leave to prepare for, or participate in, any judicial or administrative immigration proceeding involving the employee or their family member.

SB 5501 – Concerning Employer Requirements for Driving.

• This law prohibits Washington employers from requiring a driver's license as a condition of employment, or from including a statement on the job posting that an applicant must have a valid driver's license. The only exceptions are if driving is an essential job function or serves a legitimate business purpose for the position.

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Hot Compliance Question

Cascade Compliance Team
compliance@cascadeemployers.com

Question: Are candidate names confidential in the recruitment process, and who can access them?

Answer: Yes, candidate names are considered confidential and should only be shared with individuals directly involved in the hiring process, such as recruiters, hiring managers, and interview panel members. Names should not be disclosed to external parties (like clients, vendors, or other candidates) without the candidate’s explicit consent.

Maintaining this confidentiality protects candidate privacy, reduces bias, and upholds the integrity of the process. Always obtain the candidate’s consent before sharing names more broadly. One best practice to consider is marking resumes as “Confidential.”

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