(1) An employer may not:

(a) Require nondisclosure by an employee of his or her wages as a condition of employment; or

(b) Require an employee to sign a waiver or other document that prevents the employee from disclosing the amount of the employee’s wages.

(2) An employer may not discharge or in any other manner retaliate against an employee for:

(a) Inquiring about, disclosing, comparing, or otherwise discussing the employee’s wages or the wages of any other employee;

(b) Asking the employer to provide a reason for the employee’s wages or lack of opportunity for advancement; or

(c) Aiding or encouraging an employee to exercise his or her rights under this section.

(3) An employer may prohibit an employee who has access to compensation information of other employees or applicants as part of such employee’s essential job functions from disclosing the wages of the other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to such information, unless the disclosure is in response to a complaint or charge, in furtherance of an investigation, or consistent with the employer’s legal duty to provide the information and the disclosure is part of the employee’s essential job functions. An employee described in this subsection otherwise has the protections of this section, including to disclose the employee’s wages without retaliation.

(4) This section does not require an employee to disclose the employee’s compensation.

(5) This section does not permit an employee to violate the requirements in chapter 49.17 RCW and rules adopted under that chapter.