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Committee hears bill to ban employer coercion based on immigration status and add penalties
Summary
The Labor & Workplace Standards Committee heard testimony for substitute Senate Bill 5104, which would make coercion tied to an employee’s or family member’s immigration status a punishable labor violation enforceable by the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) with tiered monetary penalties.
At the Labor & Workplace Standards Committee hearing Friday, March 14, members heard testimony on substitute Senate Bill 5104, a measure to prohibit employers from coercing employees by threatening or referencing immigration status to deter protected workplace actions.
The bill would expand L&I’s enforcement tools to cover coercive acts and allow L&I to assess civil penalties of up to $1,000 for a first violation, $5,000 for a second violation, and $10,000 for subsequent violations, with the department required to assess the higher penalty if the conduct also violates existing anti-retaliation rules, a staff briefing said (Kelly Leonard, staff to the committee). The measure applies where coercion facilitates or furthers a violation of wage,…
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