Washington allows electronic labor notices while preserving other delivery options

Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries can send many licensing and workplace notices electronically. These rules cover contractors, plumbing license holders, employers, and workers involved in covered workplace complaints. Before first using electronic delivery under these provisions, the department must offer recipients a way to receive notices without electronic delivery. Many notices must use a method that allows tracking or confirms delivery.

The department can send orders about insurance benefits for work injuries, including orders closing claims, through secure electronic delivery. These rules cover injured workers, people entitled to benefits through them, employers, and others affected by orders about work injury benefits. Workers and other affected recipients must choose electronic delivery under the order-delivery rule. Employers must be offered another delivery option before their first electronic notice. Electronic notices count as received on the date the department sends them. The challenge period starts when the order is communicated. Orders demanding repayment from health or vocational service providers instead allow 20 days to request reconsideration or appeal.

The labor department must give newspapers information about hearings on workplace safety rules and the period for written comments. The requirement covers public hearings on workplace safety and health standards.

The labor department must finish its review within 75 working days when it takes back all or part of a workplace safety appeal. The review can cover disputed workplace safety citations, penalties, or deadlines to fix violations. The deadline applies only if the director chooses to take back all or part of an appeal for department review. A party has 15 working days after the revised decision to appeal to the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals.