Workplace Rules

Seattle’s new Independent Contractor Protections Ordinance (the Ordinance) requires certain hiring entities to provide independent contractors with disclosures both before entering a contract and at the time of payment. These disclosures include three different kinds of notices: a notice of rights, a pre-work written notice, and a notice of specific payment information. Listen to learn more about the new requirements for employers and the independent contractors they work with.

Washington's Equal Pay and Opportunity Act (EPOA) amendments require most employers who engage in business in Washington state to include pay ranges and benefits information in their job postings. Unlike some other jurisdictions’ pay disclosure laws, which are enforced by state agencies rather than by private lawsuits, the EPOA allows applicants to sue for damages, penalties, and attorneys’ fees. Listen to learn more about these amendments and the recently released administrative guidance, published by The Washington Department of Labor and Industries.

What is it like to be the head lawyer in an industry that was, until recently, largely illegal? In the flourishing cannabis industry, employers must continuously readjust their policies and procedures to meet evolving standards for cannabis use and regulation by federal, state, and local legislatures. Partner Mike O’Brien is joined by Jane Wright-Mitchell, principal and general counsel at Lecar Consulting, to discuss how to navigate the workplace cannabis landscape.

Legal, political, and social movements have pushed pay equity to the top of many organizations’ priorities. Activist shareholder proposals, changes in state laws, Biden administration efforts, and calls from employees regarding greater transparency have spurred employers to find out where they stand. In this episode of Workplace Rules, Senior Counsel Chris Wilkinson, who previously served as associate solicitor for civil rights and labor management at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), is joined by Cary Elliott, director at Resolution Economics, and Tammy Dowley-Blackman, CEO of Tammy Dowley-Backman Group, LLC to discuss the latest on pay equity topics

Employers across the country are scratching their heads, wondering why the labor market remains painfully tight, and talented employees are looking elsewhere for work. Is this temporary or a permanent shift in the employment landscape? To find out, Workplace Rules interviews Julian Sarafian, an attorney with a sterling pedigree who has become a spokesperson for a wave of disaffected millennial employees who, like a generation of Bartleby, The Scriveners, have turned their back on the modern workplace. A podcaster, social media influencer, and mental health champion, Julian provides an in-depth look at why this generation of employees has taken their grandparent’s advice to tune in, turn on, and drop out.

Our country has entered a new era, in which disabilities are increasingly viewed as superpowers and informed employers recognize them as the keys to unlocking employee performance. But obstacles remain, especially at the intersection of race, poverty, and disability. Join Andy Imparato, executive director of Disability Rights California, and Janice Ta, senior counsel at Perkins Coie, as they discuss their own disability journeys and provide a look toward the future of disability law in the United States.

Will the Biden administration be Obama 2.0 for employers, or could we see a more progressive agenda? Will the independent contractor rule be applied more broadly to the gig economy? How will Biden’s Department of Labor (DOL) regulate a post-COVID-19 workplace? What is the future of diversity and inclusion training for federal contractors? Join Perkins Coie Senior Counsel Christopher Wilkinson for a discussion of what it takes to actually get things done in D.C., based on experience gained as the associate solicitor for civil rights and labor management for the U.S. Department of Labor during the Obama administration.

We live in a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming omnipresent. How do we build AI that doesn’t simply replicate our biases and further perpetuate discrimination in hiring? Bill Duane, a tech leader, former Superintendent of Well Being and Sustainable Performance Development Programs at Google, and practicing Buddhist, serves as Strategy and Implementation Lead with the Center for the Study of Apparent Selves (CSAS). CSAS explores how Buddhist concepts hold the promise of addressing key AI issues, such as moral decisions, unexpected consequences, human flourishing, and comparing human and machine intelligence. Join Bill and Senior Counsel Michael O’Brien for a discussion of what AI is and how it can amplify the best of a company’s values.

During the investigation process, survivor-centered, trauma-informed techniques are used to keep investigation participants empowered and safe—physically, emotionally, and economically. Arising from sexual abuse and domestic violence contexts, these techniques are now being recognized for their usefulness and success in more traditional corporate settings. Join Perkins Coie white collar investigation partner, Caryn Trombino, as she provides an overview of survivor-centered, trauma-informed techniques and how they can be a powerful tool in white collar investigations.

Today, former Airbnb, Inc. General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer Rob Chesnut joins Perkins Coie San Francisco Partner Heather Sager for a frank discussion addressing the realities of establishing a vibrant, accountable, corporate ethics program, and why integrity must start at the top and engage your entire workforce to be truly effective.