ESD offers SOC code webinars for employers to cover new 2022 reporting requirements
In 2019, the Washington State Legislature passed a law requiring employers to report SOC codes in their quarterly reports for unemployment insurance. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2022, every employer will be required to submit Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes with their quarterly tax reports. If filed incorrectly, employers could receive penalties. This is a change from the current optional reporting.
SOC is a federal coding system that helps government agencies and private businesses compare occupational data.
L&I gives clarity to new law requiring wage, salary information on job postings
Under a bill signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee, employers in Washington with 15 or more employees will need to include salary and benefits information in job postings, rather than waiting until they make a job offer to a prospective employee. The bill will take effect Jan. 1, 2023.
The state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) offered some clarity to small businesses on the new law in their recent newsletter:
Employers must disclose in each job posting the wage scale or salary range for each open position, and a general description of other compensation and benefits to be offered to the hired applicant.
"Posting" includes:
- Any solicitation intended to recruit job applicants for an available position;
- Recruitment done directly by employer;
- Recruitment done indirectly through a third party; and,
- Any postings done electronically or in printed hard copy that includes qualifications for desired applicants.
- Equal pay for equal work, not based on gender;
- Equal advancement opportunities, not based on gender;
- Prohibition against asking job applicants for past salary history; and,
- Prohibition against salary secrecy (employees can disclose salaries to each other).
Summer means youth employment: L&I urges employers to know the rules
Washington employers traditionally bring on young workers, those age 14 or older, over the summer months. With that comes rules and regulations around what teen workers can do while on the job. The state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) urges employers to know the process and restrictions for bringing teens into the workplace.
Before an employer can hire a minor, they must have the following:
Minor work permit endorsement on their business license.
- A completed and signed parent/school or summer authorization form.
- Proof of age document (e.g. a birth certificate or drivers license).
- There are also specific meal and rest break requirements and hours of work limitations for teens. These vary whether the work is during the school year or summer break.
For more information on youth employment rules and regulations, visit L&I’s website.
