On April 13, 2020, Washington Governor Inslee issued a proclamation prohibiting employers from
engaging in certain employment practices with respect to employees
considered high-risk under the proclamation. The proclamation,
which remains in effect until 11:59 p.m. on June 12, 2020, requires
employers to: (1) utilize all available options for alternative
work assignments to protect high-risk workers (e.g.,
telework, social distancing measures); (2) permit high-risk
employees who cannot take advantage of such alternative assignments
to use any available employer-granted accrued leave or unemployment
insurance in any sequence at the discretion of the employee; (3)
fully maintain all employer-related health insurance benefits for
employees who have exhausted leave, until they are eligible to
return to work; and (4) refrain from taking adverse employment
action against an employee for exercising their rights.
