The Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Chapter 49.44, contains various prohibited employment practices, such as:

• requiring lie detector tests as a condition of employment;
• public employers misclassifying an employee to avoid providing employment-based benefits;
• requiring genetic screening as a condition of employment;
• requesting, requiring, or coercing an employee to grant access to personal social media accounts; 
• age discrimination; and
• obtaining individually identifiable information regarding an employee's participation in an employee assistance program. 

Some provisions in RCW 49.44 have prescribed civil or criminal penalties while others do not. 

A person may bring a civil action for a violation of a provision in RCW 49.44 unless a criminal or civil penalty is otherwise specified.

In a civil action brought under the bill, a court may:

• award any prevailing party bringing an action injunctive relief, actual damages, a penalty of no less than $500 and no more than $1,000, and reasonable attorneys' fees; and
• award any prevailing party against whom an action was brought reasonable expenses and attorneys' fees upon final judgment and a finding that the action was frivolous and advanced without reasonable cause. 

PRO: The bill tries to harmonize the prohibited employment practices statutes, where there are statutes without any enforcement mechanism. For example, the prohibition on genetic testing has no remedy in statute. These sections need enforcement provisions. A right that exists without enforcement is not really a right.

CON: 49.44 RCW is a catch-all chapter for employment practices. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work here. Instead, the Legislature should look at the individual statutes.