Washington Labor Laws
An employer guide for 2026

Washington labor laws at a glance

Washington combines a high minimum wage, no tip credit, paid rest breaks and statewide paid sick leave, and several cities set even higher wages. Here are the rules employers with hourly staff need most.

EZTime labor rule alerts flag overtime and missed rest periods before payroll.

Washington minimum wage

The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) sets the 2026 statewide minimum wage at $17.13 per hour. On September 30, 2026, L&I announced that the rate will rise 3.5 percent to $17.73 per hour on January 1, 2027. Workers aged 14 and 15 may be paid 85 percent of the adult rate, which is $14.56 in 2026 (L&I release) and $15.07 in 2027. Workers aged 16 and 17 must receive the full adult minimum.

No tip credit

Washington does not allow a tip credit. L&I states that businesses may not use tips or service charges paid to an employee as part of the employee's hourly minimum wage, so every tipped worker earns at least the full state or local minimum before tips.

Local minimum wages

Several cities and unincorporated King County set higher rates. L&I's local minimum wage page lists these 2026 figures; many depend on employer size or industry:

Each city defines employer size differently, so confirm coverage locally. L&I had not yet posted 2027 local rates at the time of this review.

Overtime and exempt salary thresholds

Most non-exempt employees must be paid overtime at one and one-half times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a seven-day workweek. Washington does not require daily overtime. Any agreed pay, such as shift differentials or hazard pay, must be included when calculating the overtime rate (L&I).

To be exempt as an executive, administrative or professional employee, a worker must also earn at least a salary set as a multiple of the state minimum wage (L&I overtime rules):

• 2026: $1,541.70 per week ($80,168.40 per year) for all employers.
• 2027: $1,773.00 per week for employers with 51 or more employees, and $1,595.70 per week for employers with 50 or fewer.

Review salaried roles each year. Our FLSA overtime guide covers the duties tests, and the overtime calculator helps with weekly totals.

Meal and rest breaks

L&I's break rules apply to most adult employees:

• Meal period: a meal period of at least 30 minutes is required when a shift is longer than five hours, starting between the second and fifth hour. It must be paid if the employee is required to stay on duty or on call on the premises, or is called back to work. Employees working more than three hours beyond their scheduled shift are entitled to an additional meal period. Employees may waive a meal period if both they and the employer agree.
• Rest breaks: a paid, duty-free rest period of at least 10 minutes for every four hours worked, and no employee may be required to work more than three hours without one. Intermittent "mini" breaks may qualify if they total at least 10 minutes per four hours. Rest breaks cannot be waived.

Minors have stricter break rules. Workers under 16 must get a 30-minute meal break no later than every four consecutive hours, a paid 10-minute rest break, and may not work more than two consecutive hours without a meal or rest break. Workers aged 16 and 17 must get a 30-minute meal break before working more than five consecutive hours and a paid 10-minute rest break, with no more than three hours without a rest break.

Paid sick leave and paid family leave

Under Washington's paid sick leave law, employees earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked. Employers must carry over unused balances of 40 hours or less into the next year. Employees can begin using leave 90 calendar days after their start date. Permitted uses include the employee's own illness, injury or health condition; caring for a family member; health-related closures of the workplace or a child's school; absences covered by the Domestic Violence Leave Act; and preparing for or attending an immigration proceeding. Employers must give a one-time written notice of rights and, at least monthly, a statement of leave earned, used and available. The PTO accrual calculator helps you check balances.

Washington also runs a Paid Family and Medical Leave program that provides up to 12 weeks of paid family or medical leave, according to Paid Leave. The 2026 premium is 1.13 percent of each employee's gross wages, excluding tips, up to the Social Security cap of $184,500. Employees pay up to 71.43 percent; employers with 50 or more employees pay the remaining share, and smaller employers generally do not. Most employers with 25 or more employees must provide job protection to eligible employees on leave. Employers must post the program notice and send employees a state notice within five business days of learning of a qualifying event.

Paydays and final paychecks

Employers must pay employees at least once a month on a regular, scheduled payday, and employees cannot be charged to access their wages (L&I). Each pay statement must show hours worked, rate of pay, piece-work units if applicable, gross pay, the pay period and all deductions, according to the state's Your Rights as a Worker poster.

When employment ends, whether by discharge or resignation, RCW 49.48.010 requires final wages to be paid at the end of the established pay period. L&I describes this as on or before the next regularly scheduled payday. Employers may not withhold a final paycheck because an employee has not returned keys or other company property.

Child labor hours and permits

Before hiring anyone under 18, Washington employers need a minor work permit endorsement on their business license for each location where minors work, and a signed parent/school authorization form for each minor, renewed every year by September 30 (L&I). L&I's hours of work page sets these non-agricultural limits:

Minors working after 8 p.m. in service jobs must be supervised by a responsible adult on the premises. L&I notes that updated child labor rules took effect July 1, 2026, so review its FAQs. The U.S. DOL child labor table offers a federal comparison.

Recordkeeping and posters

Under WAC 296-128-010, employers must keep payroll records for each employee, including name, address and occupation, date of birth if under 18, the start of the workweek, hours worked each workday and workweek, wages, overtime and deductions, paid sick leave accruals and use, and start and separation dates. Our time card calculator is handy for spot checks.

Employers must post all three pages of L&I's Your Rights as a Worker poster (August 2026 edition), which covers wages, breaks, minors, leave and pay requirements, along with the Paid Family and Medical Leave notice.

How EZTime helps Washington employers

EZTime gives Washington businesses one place to capture time and keep the records these rules depend on. Employees clock in with the GPS mobile time clock and geofencing, NFC tags, a shared tablet kiosk or biometric clocks. Managers build rosters with shift templates and approve shift swaps in the scheduling software, while overtime and break alerts flag problems before a shift ends. Rest-break and meal alerts track the three-hour and five-hour marks, and sick-leave statements are ready every month. PTO and sick-leave balances update automatically, and payroll-ready Excel and PDF exports work with any payroll software. Plans start from $2 per employee per month, with a 14-day trial.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the Washington Department of Labor & Industries or an employment attorney. Last reviewed November 2026.