“Adverse action” means any of the following: denying a job or promotion, demoting, terminating, failing to rehire after a seasonal interruption of work, threatening, penalizing, retaliating, engaging in unfair immigration-related practices, filing a false report with a government agency, changing an employee’s status to nonemployee, decreasing or declining to provide additional work hours when they otherwise would have been offered, scheduling an employee for hours outside of their availability, or otherwise discriminating against any person for any reason prohibited by this chapter. “Adverse action” for an employee may involve any aspect of employment, including pay, work hours, responsibilities, or other material change in the terms and conditions of employment.

“City” means the city of Bellingham, Washington.

“City minimum wage” is to be interpreted according to its ordinary meaning, applying to all hours worked by employees within the geographic boundaries of the city of Bellingham.

“Employee” has the same meaning as in RCW 49.46.010(3).

“Employer” has the same meaning as in RCW 49.46.010(4).

“Wage” has the same meaning as in RCW 49.46.010(7). [Initiative No. 2023-01, § 1, approved by voters at the 11/07/23 election, certified 11/28/23].