News for L&I
L&I: Changes for prime contractors & awarding agencies coming soon
Beginning in early October, prime contractors and awarding agencies must first select the contract type when starting a project within your Prevailing Wage Intent & Affidavit (PWIA) system or Awarding Agency Portal. The contract type selected will determine the effective date for prevailing wage rate
Posted on: 10/08/2019
L&I proposes small decrease in workers’ comp premium rates
The price of workers’ compensation insurance in Washington would drop for the third year in a row under a proposal by L&I. L&I proposed a 0.8% decrease in the average premium that employers would pay for the coverage in 2020.
Posted on: 09/20/2019
Help improve new mandatory certified-payroll system
Beginning January 1, 2020, all businesses are required to submit certified payroll reports at least once a month to L&I.
Posted on: 06/18/2019
L&I announces new draft overtime rule with salary threshold of $80K
L&I formally announced a new draft overtime rule that would raise the threshold for overtime-exempt employees to nearly $80,000 by 2026. If the rule is adopted, employers will need to pay salaried employees at least that amount or convert them to hourly workers, in essence creating a new super minimum wage.
Posted on: 06/18/2019
New tool to verify correct workers-comp risk classifications
Contractors now have the ability to verify that they have the correct workers’ compensation risk classifications when bidding and reporting work performed on public works projects.
Posted on: 06/04/2019
Online training on prevailing wage now available
Contractors can now access online training through their Prevailing Wage Intent & Affidavit portal to learn about prevailing wage and public-works projects, plus meet the new training requirement.
Posted on: 06/04/2019
L&I announces improvements to prevailing-wage online system
L&I recently announced that prime contractors and awarding agencies can quickly message each other and/or L&I about a project within their Prevailing Wage Intent & Affidavit (PWIA) system or Awarding Agency Portal. These features will help keep everyone in the loop, save time, and minimize phone calls by keeping project conversations in one spot.
Posted on: 05/06/2019
L&I working on prevailing wage ease-of-use improvements
Over the next seven months, L&I will launch exciting new features for the Prevailing-Wage Intent & Affidavit (PWIA) system and Awarding-Agency Portal.
Posted on: 12/18/2018
AGC seeks changes to burdensome overtime draft rule
The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is changing employment rules that determine which salaried employees in Washington are required by law to receive overtime pay, minimum wage and paid sick leave.
Posted on: 12/18/2018
AGC protests proposed prevailing-wage enforcement strategy
L&I is considering a proposal from REBOUND, a building trades group, to significantly alter the way in which the department enforces prevailing-wage laws and the potential penalties for non-compliance.
Posted on: 12/18/2018
L&I hosts webinars on Equal-Pay Opportunity Act
On June 7, 2018, the Equal-Pay Opportunity Act (EPOA) went into effect, making updates to the Washngton State Equal Pay Act of 1943.
Posted on: 12/04/2018
Proposed decrease in 2019 workers'-comp rates
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has proposed a decrease for 2019 in workers-comp rates, averaging 5%. For construction-risk classes, the range looks to be between a 5% and 17% reduction.
Posted on: 09/20/2018
Changes in prevailing wage rates to take effect Aug. 31
As it is required to do every February and August, the Department of Labor and Industries has posted new prevailing wages, and among them are some significant changes.
Posted on: 08/29/2018
L&I working on new overtime rules; comments welcome
The Department of Labor and Industries has announced its intention to conduct rulemaking on the executive, administrative, professional (EAP), and outside sales person exemption to Minimum Wage Act rules under WAC 296-128.
Posted on: 08/13/2018
Comment on L&I’s upcoming rulemaking on overtime, minimum-wage exemptions
The Department of Labor and Industries is in the process of updating rules regarding exemptions to the minimum-wage act (MWA) which exempts executive, administrative and professional (EAP) workers.
Posted on: 07/02/2018
L&I planning wage surveys for several trades including truck drivers, site surveyors
The Department of Labor and Industries is planning wage and hour surveys to establish prevailing-wage rates for several trades. The surveys will be carried out over the next 12 months and will be used to establish prevailing-wage rates in all 39 counties.
Posted on: 11/01/2017
L&I cuts retainage release time in half
At the urging of AGC, key legislators pressured L&I to reduce the amount of time the department had been taking to complete its share of the retainage release process.
Posted on: 10/10/2017
L&I proposes 2.5% decrease in workers’ comp rates; AGC seeks reforms
The average amount employers pay for workers' compensation insurance in Washington would drop 2.5 percent in 2018 under a proposal from L&I.
Posted on: 09/26/2017
L&I says contractors can now submit certified payrolls electronically
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries recently launched the option for contractors to upload payroll records on public works projects to create certified payroll reports.
Posted on: 07/10/2017
L&I says new system makes it easier to meet requirements
L&I has announced that contractors have a completely redesigned system that makes it easier to meet requirements on public works projects.
Posted on: 06/05/2017
Paid sick leave: What contractors need to know
Last November, when voters passed Initiative 1433, commonly known as the minimum-wage initiative, they were also approving a provision in I-1433 that requires employers to provide paid sick leave.
Posted on: 02/14/2017
L&I announces improvements to intent and affidavits reporting and tracking
The Department of Labor and Industries recently announced the launch of new features for the Prevailing Wage Intent & Affidavit (PWIA).
Posted on: 02/14/2017
L&I proposes workers’-comp rate increase for 2017
The rate paid for workers’ compensation coverage in Washington would rise by an average of 0.7 percent next year under a proposal released by L&I...
Posted on: 10/03/2016
L&I releases video on record-keeping and reporting
Do you know what to do if an employee is injured at your workplace in Washington State?
Posted on: 03/09/2016
New L&I rulings on lead, confined spaces, OSHA penalty values and more
Washington State's Department of Labor and Industries has just released important new rulings for the construction industry.