FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1319

                                  C 236 L 88

BYHouse Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Walker, Wang, Patrick, Brough, Winsley, Miller, Prince, Holland, R. King, Belcher, Fisher and Locke; by request of Select Committee on Employment and the Family)

Establishing minimum standards for leave for family care.

House Committe on Commerce & Labor

Senate Committee on Economic Development & Labor

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Current law addresses leave from employment in a limited way.  A Human Rights Commission rule requires employers with eight or more employees to grant women a leave of absence for the period of disability related to pregnancy and childbirth.  Otherwise, employee leave issues are generally governed by personnel policies or collective bargaining agreements.

The growth in two wage-earner families, single parent families and working women, among other factors, has prompted an examination of leave policies to better accommodate employees.  In 1987 the House of Representatives passed a bill that provided for 16 weeks of parental and family leave to care for a newborn or adoptive child or an ill family member.  The bill died in the Senate and the Legislature established a Select Committee on Employment and the Family to study parental and family leave and related issues.  The Select Committee met throughout the interim and recommended legislation be adopted.

SUMMARY:

In recognition of the changing nature of the workforce, the Legislature establishes a minimum standard for family care.  Nothing in the act prohibits employers from adopting more generous family care standards.

All employers must allow an employee to use accrued sick leave to care for the employee's child under the age of 18 with a health condition that requires treatment or supervision.

Employers must display a poster provided by the Department of Labor and Industries that describes an employer's obligations and an employee's rights under the act and includes notice about the state maternity disability leave requirements.  The poster is to include a telephone number and address of the department for employees to obtain additional information.  An employer must also post its leave policies, if any.

The department will administer the provisions.  The department may issue a notice of infraction if the department reasonably believes an employer has violated the provisions, and may impose a civil penalty up to $200 for each violation, or up to $1000 if the employer has repeatedly violated the provisions.

The department is required to notify all employers of the requirements.  The act is not to be constructed to reduce any provision in a collective bargaining agreement.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 89   6

      Senate    48     0(Senate amended)

      House 93   1(House concurred)

EFFECTIVE:September 1, 1988