Business Owner’s Guide to Employment Laws in Washington State

Business owners who hire one or more workers in Washington must follow specific local, state and federal employment laws when selling products and services to consumers and other businesses. If they fail to follow these laws, they might experience production and sales disruptions after accidents or lawsuits and face costly fines, damages or even jail time. This guide helps new business owners understand important basic requirements for employing workers legally in Washington state. Read on to learn more…

Minimum Wage Requirements

Federal laws require business owners throughout the country to pay workers a minimum wage for their labor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Washington’s laws also require employers to pay their workers a specific base wage per hour of scheduled work. This minimum wage helps protect workers from unscrupulous employers who might attempt to underpay them.

As of January 1, 2025, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. In Washington state, the wage is $16.66 per hour. It increased from the previous $16.28 per hour. Some cities and municipalities have additional laws that supersede the state ones. Legislators in these areas take into account a lot of different factors, such as location, cost of living, business size and industry, and even the number of workers employed by a business. For example, employers in Seattle must pay workers a minimum wage of $20.76 per hour because of the city’s high cost of living.

Rest, Restroom and Meal Breaks

Federal, state and local laws also require employers to provide rest, restroom and meal breaks based on employee age, schedule length, the company’s industry and other considerations. In general, a business owner must give their employees a rest break of 10 minutes minimum during every four hours of work at approximately the two-hour mark or several mini breaks that equal 10 minutes or more. Employers must never count restroom breaks in this period or prevent an employee from using a restroom when necessary.

With meals, an employer must provide a 30-minute minimum unpaid meal break for every five-hour shift some time after the second hour. If the employee must return to work during their meal period for any reason or stay at a post or remain on call during the break, the employer must pay for the meal break. Exceptions exist if the employer and employee jointly agree to waive any of these requirements.

Family and Medical Leave

The federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires a private business owner with at least 50 workers to provide 12 or 26 weeks per year of unpaid, protected leave for specific covered reasons. Common reasons for 12 weeks of leave include adoption, childbirth and newborn care, foster care, a serious medical condition that prevents the employee from working as needed, other care of an ill child, spouse or parent, or a covered active-duty event. The 26-week period covers care of a servicemember suffering from a serious illness or injury by a spouse, child, parent or other relative.

A separate Paid Family and Medical Leave program exists at the state level for all seasonal, part-time and full-time workers. Common coverage areas include adoption, foster care arrangement, pregnancy, birth, early child rearing, care of an immediate or extended family member, military obligation, serious acute or chronic illness, incapacity and recovery after domestic violence. It can also cover cosmetic or restorative surgery related to specific illnesses and substance abuse treatment. The program offers up to 12 weeks of paid, protected leave to workers in businesses of any size. Business owners must report the hours and wages for all employees every quarter and pay premiums toward the program.

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