State of Washington Protects Workers Rights

In the Autumn of 2016, voters in the State of Washington passed a landmark bill–Initiative 1433–which has ushered in four major changes impacting workers right in the state.  These changes will become effective January 1, 2018.

The four changes are:

• Almost every employer will be required to provide paid sick leave to its workers
• Employees will see progressive increases to minimum wage
• Tips and service charges are given to all appropriate staff
• Employees rights are protected

Paid Sick Leave

Most employer in the state will be required to provide paid sick leave to employees.  The minimum provision is that employees accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked.  This applies to part-time and seasonal workers.  Workers are eligible to take paid sick leave after they have completed 90 days of service.  Employees must be able to carry over 40 or less unused hours from year to year.

Employees may use paid sick leave to care for themselves or a family member.  They may use paid sick leave when the employees workplace or a child’s school or day care is closed.  It is also eligible for absences in association with domestic violence circumstances.

Notice Requirement

Initiative 1433 impacts the Your Rights As A Worker notice that is mandatory for all employers.  At The Labor Law Center we continually monitor local, state and federal posting requirements and will make them available as soon as they are released by the Washington State Government.  The All-In-One Labor Law Poster is now available with all of the latest updates, including the revised Your Rights As A Worker notice.

The state’s minimum wage will increase to $11.50 on January 1, 2018.  This is not a mandatory posting for employers, however, it is something that employers will want to plan for.

The Labor Law Center also offers a worry-free service to our customers through our Poster Service Plan with automatic replacements.  What this means is that we monitor the state and federal postings and automatically send you updates when they are released.  It is that simple!

We also offer clients our popular Education Center.  If you are new to labor law compliance or just wanting to keep up with the latest news and changes as they come out, this is the place to bookmark and visit regularly.