Wage and Hour Rights in Washington
Washington law requires employers to pay employees all wages they earn and to do so on time. Employers may not withhold pay, delay wages indefinitely, or fail to provide accurate wage statements.
Common wage violations include unpaid wages, missing final paychecks, improper deductions, and failure to pay for all hours worked. When these violations occur, employees may be entitled to recover unpaid wages, penalties, and attorneys’ fees under state law.
Washington State Minimum Wage in 2026
The 2026 statewide minimum wage for Washington workers aged 16 and older is $17.13 per hour, with some exceptions:
14- and 15-year-olds: Washington state minimum wage for this age range will be $14.56 an hour.
Seattle workers:
SeaTac hospitality and transportation employees: Hotel and transportation employees within the city limits of SeaTac earn $20.74 an hour.
Tukwila workers:
Renton workers:
- $21.57 for large employers
- $20.57 for mid-sized employers (rising to $21.57 on July 1, 2026.)
Burien workers:
- $21.63 for large employers
- $20.63 for mid-sized employers
Bellingham workers:
Everett workers:
- $20.77 for large employers
- $18.77 for mid-sized employers
Computer professionals: Exempt computer programmers and other computer professionals earn $59.96 per hour.
Overtime Pay Protections
All non-exempt hourly workers in Washington state are entitled to overtime pay at 1.5 times that of their wage for every hour worked over 40 hours in a work week. The law also includes overtime pay for agricultural workers who clock over 55 hours a week.
Meal and Rest Break Rights
Washington employees are entitled to meal and rest breaks during their shifts. In general, workers must receive paid rest breaks and uninterrupted meal breaks once certain hours are worked.
Break violations are especially common in healthcare, construction, manufacturing, and service industries. Repeated failure to provide required breaks may violate Washington labor regulations and give rise to legal claims.
Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST)
Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) allows Washington state workers to take paid time off when they are sick, for domestic assault-related reasons, or to care for a sick family member. You do not need to provide a doctor’s note. Workers earn one hour of sick and safe time for every 40 hours worked for a total of 6.5 days per year.
Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)
Washington state labor laws include its own version of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) called Paid Family And Medical Leave (PFML). PFML is a program that pays workers while on leave. Workers can take up to 12 weeks of leave to recuperate from a major surgery, during pregnancy, to receive treatment for a chronic health condition, or to receive inpatient care for substance abuse or mental health. You can also take paid time off to care for a new child, sick family member, or a family member who is about to be deployed overseas or is returning from overseas deployment. The amount of pay you receive weekly is based on a calculator from the Employment Security Department, though not everyone qualifies. You must have been employed with your employer for at least one year and worked a minimum of 820 hours within your qualifying period.
Fair Chance Employment (FCE)
Fair Chance Employment (FCE) prohibits discrimination against workers with criminal records. You cannot be asked about your record on an initial job application, and employers must consider your job experience before your record.
Retaliation and Whistleblower Rights
Washington law prohibits employers from retaliating against employees for exercising workplace rights. Retaliation can take many forms, including termination, demotion, reduced hours, disciplinary write‑ups, or hostile treatment.
Employees are protected when they report wage violations, request medical or family leave, file discrimination complaints, or raise safety concerns. Retaliation claims are often time‑sensitive and require prompt legal action.
Fair Chance Employment (FCE)
You deserve to be paid on time at the wage you were promised. Wage theft happens when you aren’t paid the rate you were promised, aren’t paid at least minimum wage, or aren’t compensated properly for overtime and breaks. If you are consistently finding your paycheck incorrect, you may be the victim of wage theft and have the right to hold your employer accountable.
Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Protections
Federal and Washington state labor laws give you the right to work free of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or above), disability, or genetic information.
Washington State Silenced No More Act
In 2022, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law the Silenced No More Act (HB1795), which limits the use of workplace non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements, commonly known as NDAs. Under the new law, employees and independent contractors throughout the state can no longer be forced to stay quiet about certain unlawful workplace mistreatment.
Wrongful Termination
While Washington is an at‑will employment state, employers cannot terminate workers for unlawful reasons. A wrongful termination is one based on discrimination, retaliation, protected leave, or refusal to participate in illegal activity.
Employers also cannot fire workers for asserting rights guaranteed under Washington labor laws.
