Legislation further amending noncompete policy in Washington has passed the state's Senate.
The bill adds a range of protections to workers following problems that have arisen since the state moved to restrict noncompetes in 2019. The 2019 legislation prohibited noncompetes based on earnings, capped the length at 18 months and required that employees subject to noncompetes after a layoff be paid for the period during which the noncompete is enforced, according to a news release from the Washington Senate Democrats.
The bill now moves to the House for consideration.
Washington joins a long list of states that are making moves to restrict or amend their noncompete policies. Most recently, California added a requirement for businesses to notify affected employees that their noncompetes are no longer enforceable.