LWHRA Legal Seminar 2025

Fee: $110 Member | $140 Non-Member
Includes full lunch and Legal Seminar

The upcoming LWHRA annual legal seminar will provide an overview of current employment legislation at both the national and Washington State levels, offering insights into recent changes and trends impacting employers. Special sessions will focus on new job posting laws and the complexities of managing payroll and workforce compliance across multiple states, particularly in the context of today’s remote and fluid work environment.

Schedule:

Start Time			Session
10:00AM	-	10:30AM	Registration opens
10:30AM	-	11:30AM	Keynote speaker Josh Brittingham: Washington Employment Law Update: Wage & Hour, Class Actions, and Labor Trends
11:30AM	-	12:00PM	Roundglass presentation
12:00PM	-	1:00PM	Lunch
1:00PM	-	2:00PM	Catharine Morisset session #1: Multi-State HR Challenges / Remote Work Fluidity
2:00PM	-	2:15PM	Break
2:15PM	-	3:15PM	Catharine Morisset session #2: Job Posting Guidelines in Washington State

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Washington Employment Law Update: Wage & Hour, Class Actions, and Labor Trends

Washington’s employment law landscape continues to evolve, and staying ahead of the curve is essential for HR and business leaders. In this session, employment attorney Josh Brittingham will provide an overview of recent developments in Washington law with a focus on wage-and-hour issues, including the growing wave of class action lawsuits related to meal and rest break violations. He’ll also cover key updates on labor and union issues—an area that continues to shape the employer–employee relationship in our state.

Multi-State HR Challenges / Remote Work Fluidity

This session explored the complexities employers face when employees move or work across state lines, especially in today’s era of remote and hybrid work. The discussion clarified the common misconception that the “location of the employer” determines employment laws—when in fact, the employee’s physical work location governs compliance. It also debunked myths around classifying relocated employees as independent contractors to avoid multi-state obligations. Presenters highlighted how state-specific tax, wage, and employment regulations must be followed wherever the employee is working, not just where the company is headquartered.

Key Takeaways:

• Employee location dictates compliance: Employers must apply the employment laws (wage/hour, tax, leave, benefits, etc.) of the state where the employee physically performs the work.

• Independent contractor misclassification risk: Relocating employees cannot simply be reclassified as independent contractors to avoid out-of-state compliance. This creates high risk of misclassification penalties.

• Multi-state obligations grow with remote work: Payroll, tax registration, workers’ comp, and leave laws all may shift when an employee works in a new state.

Job Posting Guidelines in Washington State

This session provided an overview of Washington State’s specific requirements for job postings, emphasizing transparency in pay and benefits as well as compliance with equal employment opportunity standards. The discussion highlighted Washington’s Pay Transparency Law, which requires employers with 15 or more employees to disclose wage scales, salary ranges, and a general description of benefits in all job postings. Attendees also reviewed best practices to ensure postings remain compliant while still being attractive to candidates.

Key Takeaways:

• Pay transparency required: Job postings must include salary ranges and a description of benefits/perks if the employer has 15+ employees.

• Avoid discriminatory language: Postings should be free of age, gender, or other protected-class bias.

• Clarity is key: Use clear, consistent job titles and descriptions to reduce candidate confusion and ensure compliance with state expectations.

• Employer liability: Failure to comply with pay transparency and nondiscrimination standards may result in fines, penalties, or candidate claims.

Speaker Bios:

Joshua Brittingham

Joshua Brittingham is a seasoned labor and employment attorney who is conscientious, compelling, and compassionate. He represents and counsels management clients in connection with all types of labor and employment matters arising under federal and state law.

Mr. Brittingham helps private and public employers reduce their legal exposure by implementing effective personnel policies and practices. He also represents high-level executives in employment matters.

His wide-ranging practice includes drafting and enforcing employment, confidentiality, and non-competition agreements, and defending claims regarding wrongful discharge, discrimination, sexual harassment, and wage-and-hour issues in state and federal courts and administrative agencies, including class actions. Mr. Brittingham also provides representation on labor relations matters, such as collective bargaining, arbitrations, union organizational campaigns, and National Labor Relations Board proceedings.

Mr. Brittingham is a gifted speaker and frequent keynote speaker. He provides training to employer clients on a wide range of employment law topics including management do’s and don’ts and responding with union organizing campaigns.

Mr. Brittingham has extensive litigation experience. Before joining Carney Badley Spellman, he spent nearly a decade litigating commercial matters (including contract breaches, tortious interference claims, and business owner disputes), real estate matters (such as lease, easement, and boundary disputes), and employment matters. In the past, he also formed companies, advised clients on real estate transactions, and drafted purchase and sale agreements, leases, easements, and other contracts.

Mr. Brittingham comes from a business background. Both of his parents are small business owners, and, before practicing law, he worked as a project manager and business analyst in the financial services industry. This businesses background gives Mr. Brittingham a unique perspective which he harnesses to help employers obtain satisfactory results. Mr. Brittingham takes pride in tackling labor and employment law problems so his clients can thrive.

Catharine Morisset

Catharine Morisset is a litigation partner in Fisher Phillips’ Seattle office, representing local and national employers in litigation in state and federal courts, on appeal, and also before the EEOC and similar state agencies in all aspects of workplace law, such as the ADA, ADEA, FLSA, FMLA, FCRA, NLRA, Title VII, UTSA, and similar state laws. From the outset, Catharine works with clients to develop a strategy that leads to successful resolutions, whether it is a meticulous plaintiff’s deposition, motion to dismiss, favorable mediation, or trial success.