Emery | Reddy, PLLC Files 31 Lawsuits For EPOA Violations Since June

Washington State employers must post clear salary information on all job applications under the updated Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA). The pay transparency law applies to any employer that does business in Washington State with 15+ employees and at least one of those employees is Washington-based. If your employer breaks the salary transparency law, you could be entitled to $5,000 in damages, as well as attorney’s fees.

An article in The Seattle Times, published on October 12, 2023, and written by Lauren Rosenblat states the following:

“Dozens of Washington state employers are facing proposed class action lawsuits accusing them of failing to disclose salary information on job postings, in violation of a new state regulation that went into effect in January.

The law requires companies with more than 15 employees to include a wage scale and benefits information on a job posting, a mandate that is meant to close the gender wage gap by helping applicants negotiate pay rates, compare offers and prevent employers from basing an offer on an individual’s salary history.

Timothy Emery, an attorney with the Seattle-based law firm Emery Reddy, has filed 31 lawsuits since June against a range of employers — from Safeway-owner Albertsons to Adidas to IT company Insight Global. Thirty of those lawsuits were filed in the past week.

Ten months since the new legislation went into effect, Emery said his firm has heard from “so many clients” who are still facing pay inequality and have seen employers continue to hide salary information.

“The lawsuits we have filed seek to change these employers’ practices,” he said. “We felt now was the time to take action … and put an end to these illegal practices once and for all.”

The outcome of these lawsuits — likely the first complaints since the new requirements went into effect — could determine how pay transparency unfolds in Washington.”