Litigation stemming from Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act is beginning to wind its way through the courts. EPOA, which took effect January 1, 2023, requires covered employers to disclose a job’s salary range and general benefits in every job advertisement.
In one case, Atkinson v. Aaron’s LLC, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, interpreting state law, dismissed a job applicant’s claim. It found that he lacked standing to sue because he had not suffered a concrete harm.
By contrast, a case pending in state court, Yount v. Diamond Parking, Inc., resulted in a tentative settlement under which an employer agreed to pay $1.4 million to a class of almost 300 job applicants.