Effective July 1, 2025, additional protections are available for workers when employers use immigration-related threats to discourage or retaliate against the usage of certain workplace rights.

While Washington is an at-will employment state, employers cannot fire or retaliate against an employee who exercises a protected right or files a complaint under certain employment laws.

State law gives employees protection in the following areas:

Depending on the situation, L&I will investigate your complaint or refer you to the appropriate agency. You may have additional rights against termination or retaliation under a collective bargaining agreement, in your employer’s policies, or under federal law. However, L&I does not have enforcement authority in these areas.

At-will employment

At-will employment means that employers do not need to establish cause or give notice before firing an employee. That being said, it is against the law for an employer to fire or retaliate against an employee for discussing or filing a complaint about a violation of their protected rights.

Q. Is it legal to be fired from a job for no reason?
A. Washington is an at-will employment state. Businesses may fire any employee at any time, for any or no reason, as long as they are not violating any employee protection laws.
However, workers may request the reason for discharge by sending a written request to the business for a signed written statement of the reason for discharge and the effective date. See WAC 296-126-050(3) for details.

Q. Is it legal for a worker to be fired from their job without any notice?
A. The law does not require employers to give a worker notice, warnings, or follow any particular steps before terminating their job, except in certain circumstances. For more information, see the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requirements provided by the Employment Security Department.