Bill > HB2479

This bill aims to strengthen protections for workers by improving the process for recovering unpaid wages and establishing a new program to provide immediate financial relief to low-wage employees facing economic hardship. Key provisions include allowing the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) to prioritize wage complaint investigations based on factors like harm to the employee and the number of affected workers, increasing the minimum civil penalty for willful wage violations to $1,500 or 10% of unpaid wages, and requiring L&I to establish a written process for prioritizing investigations that is made public. It also creates a "wage recovery program" to disburse funds to eligible low-wage employees who attest to facing immediate economic harm, with payments capped at $2,500 or 85% of anticipated owed wages. This program is funded by civil penalties collected under wage laws, which will now be deposited into a dedicated "wage recovery account." The bill also clarifies rules for investigating wage complaints against transportation network companies, including those related to compensation and non-compensation requirements, and addresses retaliation against drivers for exercising their rights. Finally, it repeals an existing law regarding repeat willful violators and civil penalties, and includes provisions for a review of the new wage recovery program.