Articles Discussing Washington State Wage & Hour Laws.

The first quarter of 2024 has brought multiple updates to the State of Washington’s and the City of Seattle’s respective paid sick leave laws, addressing concerns for commercial construction workers, app-based gig economy workers, and any workers subject to a paid time off (PTO) program. Employers may want to take

Effective January 1, 2024, the minimum wage rate in Washington State will increase to $16.28 per hour for employees sixteen years of age and older, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries announced on September 29, 2023.

Employers in Washington are facing a flurry of class actions alleging violations of the state’s new pay transparency law. While it is too early to gauge the viability of the claims, employers doing business in Washington may want to be on alert and may want to review job postings in

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) released a draft administrative policy regarding tips, gratuities, and service charge requirements for employers. 

Beginning on January 1, 2023, the Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave Program’s “total premium” rate rose to 0.8% from 0.6%.  This rate is recalculated annually in October, based on contributions from premiums and benefits paid during the previous year. 

As was true in previous years, employers must report to

Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries (LNI) released the final version of its Administrative Policy on the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act to guide employers on the new pay transparency requirements that became effective January 1, 2023.

This policy gives insight into how LNI will interpret, apply, and enforce the

Washington State’s Employment Security Department recently released a draft administrative policy with updated guidance on the modified pay transparency requirements beginning January 1, 2023. This draft policy aims to clarify issues raised by stakeholders in the feedback process for the development of the final administrative policy. The draft policy gives

The 2023 minimum wage rate in Washington State will increase to $15.74 per hour for employees sixteen years of age and older, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries announced on September 30, 2022.

Effective January 1, 2023, Washington employers with at least 15 employees must affirmatively disclose the wage scale or salary range and a general description of all benefits and other compensation being offered when posting job openings, regardless of whether such information is requested by the applicant.

The Washington State Legislature has again amended the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Act.  This amendment is effective June 9, 2022.  Here is a list of the most significant changes to the law:

First six weeks of postnatal leave for incapacitated employee is presumptively medical leave. During the

On March 30, 2022, Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill (SB) 5761, updating Washington’s existing pay transparency law. Previously, after an employer made an initial job offer to an external applicant, the employer was required to provide the minimum wage or salary to the applicant if the applicant requested the

In Washington, the first quarter of 2022, which included the regular legislative session, has included various updates and adjustments to Washington’s wage and hour and related reporting laws.

After months of confusion about whether to begin withholding premiums from employees’ paychecks on January 1, 2022, employers and employees in Washington state have gotten a reprieve from the controversial payroll tax for the long-term services and support program, called the WA Cares Fund.

Washington employers should rethink their policies on paying non-exempt employees for travel time based upon a recent appellate court ruling that travel time for out-of-town travel is considered compensable “hours worked” as a matter of Washington law. Port of Tacoma v. Sacks, No. 54498-9-II (Wash. Ct. App. Sept. 21, 2021).

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an order this week that Washington State’s meal and rest break rules are preempted as applied to property-carrying commercial motor vehicle drivers subject to its hours of service rules.