The overtime point is different for each of the three states. In Idaho, there is no overtime pay. Employees can work as many hours as employers want them to without getting any increase in pay. In Washington an employer must give overtime pay to any employee who works over a 40-hour workweek. Overtime pay is one and one-half of the regular hourly wages. In California regular overtime rates must be paid for any amount over 8 hours and double the regular wages for over 12 hours a day as well as 40 hours in a workweek.
California law states that an employer can be sued for harassment if a manager or higher authority knew about the problem. Employers are required to grant sick leave off to care for domestic partners as well as family. The state recognizes same-sex domestic partners to get sick leave. Employees in California have up to two years to file a lawsuit against an employer for wrongful termination, infliction of emotional distress or invasion of privacy. This was passed in 2003 and will cost California employers more to defend and settle employment litigations.
Supervisors in Washington can also be held liable for discrimination and harassment done by those employees working under them. There have been recent changes in tax laws in Washington, including the "phasing out" of itemized deductions as gross income increases, which reduces the amount plaintiffs actually take home when they win a lawsuit.
There are several laws when it comes to hiring and firing. A lot of them are really sketchy when it comes to details. When an employer is injured, it is lawful to fire him if he or she cannot return within a “foreseeable” amount of time. In some states this is a few months where as others it is a year or longer. The hiring process for all three states has several laws preventing discrimination in age, race, gender and basically everything else. Everyone should have a fair chance at getting a job.
I would move my business to Idaho where labor costs are going to be cheap. Washington and California have heavy laws on break times while working and keeping track of overtime worked. Idaho seems to be the cheapest place to run a business under all the laws to protect employees.
Minimum Wage Laws in the States. 1 Jan. 2004. U.S. Department of Labor. 8 Mar. 2004 <http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm#2>
Coby, Christopher E. More Time for Filing Employment Claims Permitted by the Legislature. Sept. 2002. < http://www.littler.com/nwsltr/asap_filingtime.html>
