Washington Minimum Wage Law
Washington’s 2009 minimum wage is $8.55 per hour
Washington’s minimum wage applies to workers in both agriculture and non-agricultural jobs, although 14- and 15-year-olds may be paid 85% of the minimum wage, or $7.27 an hour.
Initiative 688, approved by Washington voters in 1998, requires L&I to make a cost-of-living adjustment to the minimum wage each year based on the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
Rest Breaks
Under Washington Law, workers must be allowed a paid rest break of at least 10 minutes for each 4 hours worked. The rest period must be allowed no later than the end of the third hour of the shift.
Meal Breaks
If more than 5 hours are worked in a shift: (1) Workers must be allowed at least a 30 minute meal period; (2) Workers must be at least two hours into the shift before the meal time can start; and (3) The meal time cannot start more than five hours after the beginning of the shift.
Frequency of Payment
Businesses must pay workers on regular established paydays at least once a month.
Last Paycheck
Termination wages are due to the worker on the next regularly scheduled payday regardless of whether the worker quit or was fired.
Washington Overtime Law
Under Washington Overtime Law, most Washington workers who are paid an hourly wage and work more than 40 hours in a 7-day work week must be paid overtime. When paying overtime, a business must pay at least one and one-half times the worker’s regular hourly rate.
Washington Overtime Law does not guarantee premium pay to employees who request compensating time (comp time) off in lieu of premium pay.
To learn more about Washington Wage and Hour Law and Washington Overtime Law visit the Washington Department of Labor & Industries at http://www.lni.wa.gov/WorkplaceRights/Wages/default.asp
