What happened?

On May 20, 2025, Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5101 into law, expanding protections for workers in Washington State by extending leave and safety accommodations to employees who are victims of hate crimes or whose family members are victims.

Overview:

Effective January 1, 2026, Washington’s Domestic Violence Leave Law includes hate crimes as a qualifying reason for leave and workplace accommodations.

Key Provisions:

• Expanded Coverage: Employees may take leave if they or a family member are victims of a hate crime.

• Definition of Hate Crime: Includes offenses such as assault, property damage, or threats motivated by bias (e.g., race, religion, gender, disability), including those committed online.

• Leave and Accommodations: Employees may take unpaid leave for legal, medical, or safety-related reasons. Employers must provide reasonable safety accommodations unless it causes undue hardship.

• Anti-Retaliation Protections: Employers may not discriminate or retaliate against employees for requesting leave or accommodations.

• Paid Sick Leave: The law may expand the use of paid sick leave under the Washington Minimum Wage Act to cover hate crime-related absences.

Employer Action Items:

• Policy Updates: Review and revise leave and safety accommodation policies to include hate crime protections.

• Sick Leave Compliance: Ensure paid sick leave policies align with the updated law.

• Training and Communication: Inform HR teams and managers about the changes to ensure compliance and support for affected employees.

Source References

• Washington SB 5101 – Expanding access to leave and safety accommodations to include workers who are victims of hate crimes or bias incidents

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