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State Supreme Court hears public pension arguments

This morning the state Supreme Court heard arguments on the public pension gain sharing and uniform COLA cases. The Department of Retirement Services summarized the issues yesterday: At issue in one case is a law from 2008 which repealed gain sharing provisions for members and retirees of certain state retirement plans and replaced them with […]

On the "California Rule" and why it matters for WA pension reform

In a Bloomberg View article, Steven Malanga writes about an effort in California to amend the state constitution to specifically eliminate the notion that employee benefits are a contractual right that bars all future changes. [San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed] is pushing for the amendment because workers are challenging a San Jose pension measure approved […]

WA had the nation's highest workers' comp benefits paid in 2011

Today the National Academy of Social Insurance released Workers’ Compensation: Benefits, Coverage, and Costs, 2011. (This annual report has a two year data lag.) The report shows that in 2011, Washington still had the nation’s highest workers’ compensation benefits paid, at $835.40 $855.78 per covered worker. Alaska followed with $782.99 per covered worker. In terms […]

Special report: Proposition 1 and the "Living Wage Movement" in SeaTac: Increasing Unemployment, Decreasing Opportunity

A proposal on the November ballot in SeaTac would establish a $15 minimum wage and paid sick leave benefits, and impose restrictions on employers’ labor practices. In a new special report, we consider the economic effects of Proposition 1. Our five main findings are: Approximately 5 percent of low wage jobs will be lost. Another […]

An October court date for pension policy

Oral arguments in the public pension gain sharing and automatic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) cases will be heard October 24 of this year. (Mark your calendars!) In the meantime, a few recent publications from the Center for Retirement Research (CRR) may be of interest. First, last month, CRR released a report on the funded status of […]

Report on paid sick leave in Seattle focuses on benefits offered prior to implementation, awareness of law

Seattle’s paid sick leave ordinance requires a written evaluation of the impacts this ordinance has had on employees and employers. This evaluation will include an assessment of patterns and practices relating to shift swapping, the potential abuse of leave by employees who take time for other than the intended purposes, use of explicit waivers of […]

Due to average wage increase, workers' comp COLA is 3.4 percent for FY 2014

As I noted last month, the state average annual wage increased to $51,595 in 2012, which affects both the unemployment insurance weekly benefit amount and the taxable wage base. And, as the Department of Labor and Industries announced yesterday, it also affects workers’ compensation benefits. Time-loss and pension benefits will increase by 3.4 percent for […]

DC audit of paid sick leave doesn't tell much about effects on business

Last week, the Economic Opportunity Institute and PubliCola linked to an audit of the DC Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008. Both posts say that the audit shows the “sky isn’t falling,” but it doesn’t actually show much at all. The audit’s look at paid sick leave’s effect on business is secondary to […]

Increase in state average wage will impact unemployment insurance and workers' comp

Today the Employment Security Department announced that Washington’s average annual wage was $51,595 in 2012. That’s up from $49,894 in 2011. Both unemployment insurance (UI) and workers’ compensation benefits are calculated using the average annual wage. As the announcement notes, The minimum weekly unemployment benefit, calculated at 15 percent of the average weekly wage, will […]

Public pension gain sharing and COLA cases will be heard together

According to the Department of Retirement Systems, The Washington State Supreme Court has agreed to accept direct review of litigation over discontinuation of annual benefit increases for retirees from two of the state’s older pension plans — and will hear that case in conjunction with arguments over a separate lawsuit related to gain sharing and […]