Updated: May 11, 2021
Effective June 7, 2018, employers will be prohibited to require an employee, as a condition of employment, to sign nondisclosure agreements, waivers, or other documents that prevent employees from disclosing sexual harassment or sexual assault. Senate Bill 5996 prohibiting such agreements was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee on March 21, 2018. As a result, a new section to chapter 49.44 will render any agreement prohibiting any such disclosures unenforceable. The new section will not prohibit a settlement agreement between an employee or former employee alleging sexual harassment and an employer from containing confidentiality provisions. The full text of SB 5996 can be found here: http://apps2.leg.wa.gov/billsummary…