Isolated employees

AN ACT Relating to ensuring compliance with and enforcement of 1
certain workplace standards and requirements applicable to employers 2
of isolated employees; and amending RCW 49.60.515. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 49.60.515 and 2019 c 392 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) Every hotel, motel, retail, or security guard entity, or 7
property services contractor, who employs an isolated employee, must:8
(a) Adopt a sexual harassment policy; 9
(b) Provide mandatory training on an annual basis to the 10
employer's managers, supervisors, and isolated employees to:11
(i) Prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment in the 12
workplace; 13
(ii) Prevent sexual discrimination in the workplace; and14
(iii) Educate the employer's workforce regarding protection for 15
isolated employees who report violations of a state or federal law, 16
rule, or regulation; 17
(c) Provide a list of resources for the employer's isolated 18
employees to utilize. At a minimum, the resources must include 19
contact information of the equal employment opportunity commission, 20
the Washington state human rights commission, and local advocacy 21
H-0646.1
HOUSE BILL 1524
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Obras, Scott, Fosse, Hill, Gregerson, Reed, Berry,
Parshley, Salahuddin, Peterson, Simmons, Ormsby, Macri, and Pollet
Read first time 01/22/25. Referred to Committee on Labor & Workplace
Standards.
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groups focused on preventing sexual harassment and sexual assault; 1
and 2
(d) Provide a panic button to each isolated employee. The 3
department must publish advice and guidance for employers with fifty 4
or fewer employees relating to this subsection (1)(d). This 5
subsection (1)(d) does not apply to contracted security guard 6
companies licensed under chapter 18.170 RCW. 7
(2)(a) A property services contractor shall submit the following 8
to the department on a quarterly basis on a form or in a manner 9
determined by the department: 10
(i) The date of adoption of the sexual harassment policy required 11
in subsection (1)(a) of this section; 12
(ii) The number of managers, supervisors, and isolated employees 13
trained as required by subsection (1)(b) of this section; and14
(iii) The physical address of the work location or locations at 15
which janitorial services are provided by workers of the property 16
services contractor, and for each location: (A) The total number of 17
workers or contractors of the property services contractor who 18
perform janitorial services; and (B) the total hours worked.19
(b) The department must make aggregate data submitted as required 20
in this subsection (2) available upon request. 21
(c) The department may adopt rules to implement this subsection 22
(2). 23
(3)(a) The department shall investigate any complaint filed with 24
the department alleging a violation of this section, except the 25
department may not investigate an alleged violation that occurred 26
more than three years before the filing of the complaint.27
(b) The department shall issue either a citation and notice of 28
assessment or a determination of compliance, within 90 days after the 29
date on which the department received the complaint, unless the 30
complaint is otherwise resolved. The department may extend the period 31
by providing advance written notice to the complainant and the 32
employer setting forth good cause for an extension of the period and 33
specifying the duration of the extension. If the department 34
investigation finds that the complainant's allegation cannot be 35
substantiated, the department shall issue a closure letter to the 36
complainant and the employer detailing such finding.37
(c) If the department finds a violation of this section, the 38
department shall order the employer to pay the department a civil 39
penalty. The maximum penalty is $1,000 for each violation, except the 40
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maximum penalty is increased to $2,500 for the fourth and subsequent 1
violation. The department may, at any time, waive or reduce a civil 2
penalty assessed under this section if the department determines that 3
the employer has taken corrective action to resolve the violation. 4
Monetary penalties collected under this section must be deposited 5
into the general fund. 6
(4) For the purposes of this section: 7
(a) "Department" means the department of labor and industries.8
(b) "((Employee)) Isolated employee " means an ((individual who 9
spends a majority of)) employee who:10
(i)(A) Performs work in an area where two or more coworkers, 11
supervisors, or a combination thereof are unable to immediately 12
respond to a call of distress or emergency; or (B) spends at least 50 13
percent of her or his working hours ((alone, or whose primary work 14
responsibility involves working without another coworker present, and 15
who is)) without a supervisor or another coworker present; and16
(ii) Is employed by an employer as a janitor, security guard, 17
hotel or motel housekeeper, or room service attendant.18
(c) "Employer" means any person, association, partnership, 19
property services contractor, or public or private corporation, 20
whether for-profit or not, who employs one or more persons.21
(d) "Panic button" means an emergency contact device carried by 22
an isolated employee by which the isolated employee may summon 23
immediate on-scene assistance from another worker, a security guard, 24
or a representative of the employer. 25
(e) "Property services contractor" means any person or entity 26
that employs workers: (i) To perform labor for another person to 27
provide commercial janitorial services; or (ii) on behalf of an 28
employer to provide commercial janitorial services. "Property 29
services contractor" does not mean the employment security department 30
or individuals who perform labor under an agreement for exchanging 31
their own labor or services with each other, provided the work is 32
performed on land owned or leased by the individuals.33
(f) "Security guard" means an individual who is principally 34
employed as, or typically referred to as, a security officer or 35
guard, regardless of whether the individual is employed by a private 36
security company or a single employer or whether the individual is 37
required to be licensed under chapter 18.170 RCW. 38
(((4)(a) Hotels and motels with sixty or more rooms must meet the 39
requirements of this section by January 1, 2020.40
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(b) All other employers identified in subsection (1) of this 1
section must meet the requirements of this section by January 1, 2
2021.))3
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