Employers take note — new leave of absence law now in effect
Gov. Chris Gregoire’s signed a new law on April 1 that provides a “reasonable period of leave,” with or without pay, to employees who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, so they can take care of certain needs including legal, law enforcement, medical, psychological, or victim services. The law requires job reinstatement and continuation of benefits like health care coverage when they return to work.There is no specified maximum amount of leave, only that it be “reasonable.” This new law applies to employers of all sizes, and potentially to any affected employee regardless of length of service or part-time/full-time status. Employees taking leave are to give notice to employees, and employers may require verification. The law also imposes confidentiality and posting requirements on employers. Violations of the new law are enforced by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries or through a private lawsuit. Stay tuned—AWB will be issuing a fact sheet on the requirements of the new law on our Web site, as well as incorporating the required notice into our annual employment law posters. For more information, contact AWB’s Kris Tefft at (360) 943-1600 or KrisT@awb.org

 

For more information, please also see these related links:
HB 2602 Law regarding employment leave for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Free help for small business in an uncertain economy
Small businesses in Washington report that they are struggling to keep their doors open in the uncertainty of today’s economy and the looming national economic pressures facing our state. Larger businesses typically have professional advice available through in-house attorneys and accountants. Small businesses often do not, and they are asking how to cut overhead when their expenses are critical to their business operation. They wonder if a business loan will help. They experience the impact of liens first-hand by seeking them to secure payment from a recalcitrant customer — or worse, being the victim of a lien. Many small businesses are wondering where they can get free assistance to help answer these and other questions about how to survive in an uncertain economy. A number of services are available through local economic development councils throughout Washington. Another program is the public-private partnership with the Small Business Administration, the Service Corps of Retired Professionals (SCORE) that promotes small business through free education, training andcounseling. The Office of Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) provides management assistance to small businesses and has offices statewide. For more information, contact AWB’s Amber Carter at (360) 943-1600 or AmberC@awb.org

For more information, please also see these related links:
Information on SCORE
Information on SBDC
List of EDCs by county

Community and technical colleges need your valuable insight
Washington’s community and technical colleges need input from professionals and business leaders on all levels — from front-line workers to CEOs — so they can develop and design better workforce training programs. If you or someone in your company is willing to join an advisory committee and spend a couple of hours per academic quarter implementing these programs and working to further develop Washington’s workforce, please contact AWB’s Mike Hudson at (360) 943-1600 or mikeh@awb.org.

New sales tax lookup tools available
The Washington State Department of Revenue has prepared a number of new tools for looking up sales tax rates for all cities and counties in Washington. These tools, initially designed to help employers comply with the destination-based Streamlined Sales Tax Law that passed in the 2007 legislative session, will prove useful to other employers as well. New tools include a tax calculator function that allows the address or ZIP+4 with the transaction amount to get a total that includes all necessary tax information. This new feature is accessible through handheld devices likes PDAs, Blackberries and cell phones. Other tools include sales and use tax rates and location codes in a variety of downloadable formats. Another new tool that is already popular with small businesses is a downloadable tax calculator in a Microsoft Excel worksheet that displays tax rates and location codes, calculates totals and summarizes sales by city or county without an online connection. If you don’t know the location code when using this worksheet, you can simply enter the city or county name to receive available options. The department has also provided more options for downloadable databases to integrate with your existing accounting or point-of-sale cash register system. Previously, this was only available by address code. Now, it is available using the ZIP+4 function. Additional services will include customized printed maps and a customer database conversion option. For more information, contact AWB’s Amber Carter at (360) 943-1600 or AmberC@awb.org

AWB now accepting nominations for new board members; Deadline May 2nd
Is there a business leader that you’d like to nominate for AWB’s board of directors? If so, please send your nominee’s name and contact information to AWB’s Dick Walter at (360) 943-1600 or DickW@awb.org no later than May 2. The new board members will be selected at AWB’s Spring Board Meeting on May 22 (see next item).

 

AWB Spring Board Meeting in Spokane coming in May
Don’t miss AWB’s Spring Board Meeting at Spokane’s Davenport Hotel on May 21-22. Hear a keynote address from Charlie Cook, a respected authority on U.S. election and political trends, and enjoy the presentation of the Community Service Awards. To register, contact Jennifer Costello at (360) 943-1600 or JenniferC@awb.org, or register online by clicking here.

AWB Tax and Fiscal Policy Council meeting
The AWB Tax and Fiscal Policy Council will meet April 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Deloitte office in Seattle (925 4th Avenue, Suite 3300). Agenda items will include Confidentiality Authorization Form; Investment Income Proposed Guidance; Digital Goods Task Force Next Steps; AWB Telecommunications Subcommittee; Rule 155; ETA Disclaimer Language; Streamlined Sales Tax Tools and Governing Board Update on Direct Mail. If there are more topics that you would like on the agenda, please contact AWB’s Amber Carter at AmberC@awb.org or (360) 943-1600 as soon as possible. The final agenda with meeting materials will be available prior to the meeting. To RSVP or obtain conference call information, please contact AWB’s Connie Grande at (800) 521-9325 or connieg@awb.org.

 

AWB Retro Program safety workshop
Don’t miss the opportunity to increase your safety knowledge and effectiveness in developing and administering safety programs within your company. The AWB Retro Program is offering a four-course safety seminar on May 21 in Spokane as part of the Certified Safety Coordinator program. For more information, visit our website by clicking here. or contact Jennifer Costello at JenniferC@awb.org or (360) 943-1600.

Have your company’s contribution to community service recognized
AWB will present its Community Service Awards at a special dinner held in conjunction with its Annual Spring Board Meeting in Spokane on May 21. Submit your applications before Friday, April 18 by clicking here or contact Jennifer Costello at (360) 943-1600 JenniferC@awb.org.

 

Best practices for the Human Resources File Cabinet seminar
Learn how to avoid fines, penalties, and litigation through adopting “best practices” and maintaining proper employment records on May 28 at the Red Lion Hotel in Bellevue. For more information, please contact Jennifer Costello at (360) 943-1600 or JenniferC@awb.org, or click here for on-line registration

 

 

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