According to Rev. Code Wash. §§49.46.020 and §§49.46.210, employers are required to offer their employees protected paid time off as part of Washington’s paid sick leave regulations. This comprehensive statute guarantees paid leave for health and safety concerns for employees throughout the state.
Keep in mind that Tacoma and Seattle have different policies regarding paid sick leave. Employers must abide by the regulation that benefits workers the most when they are subject to both state and local obligations. The statewide requirements are the main topic of this handbook.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Paid Sick Leave in Washington
Maintaining workplace compliance and promoting employee well-being need an understanding of Washington’s paid sick leave regulations. The law offers extensive worker rights and specifies precise rules for leave accrual and utilization. What you need to know to maintain compliance is as follows.
In Washington, who is eligible for paid sick leave?
This leave is available to almost all Washington employees, including paid, hourly, and part-time workers. Among the exceptions are:
- Self-employed individuals
- Qualifying collective bargaining agreements for construction workers
- Workers covered by Washington’s minimum wage law
- Workers of the Federal Government
- Some federal contractors
Which companies are required to offer this leave?
Employees in Washington are entitled to this leave from all employers.
How much leave must businesses offer?
For every 40 hours worked, employees are entitled to one hour of paid sick leave. The number of hours of leave that employees can accrue in a year is unrestricted by law.
What is covered by Washington’s paid sick leave?
In addition to medical diagnosis, treatment, or preventative care, employees may take sick time for their own or a family member’s physical or mental disease, injury, or health condition. Children, parents, spouses, registered domestic partners, grandparents, grandkids, siblings, and anybody else who frequently resides in the employee’s home or whose relationship implies obligations for caring are all considered “family members.”
Workplace or child care/education center Government-declared crises and closures by public official order for health-related reasons are also covered. Additionally, needs relating to domestic abuse, including as court cases, medical care, counseling, shelter services, or relocation, may be covered by Washington paid sick leave.
What does this have to do with other kinds of leave?
If a paid time off policy offers at least as much leave and permits for the same reasons under the same terms and conditions—including accrual rates, payment, carryover, notification, and recordkeeping requirements—employers may use it to meet these criteria.
Can businesses restrict the number of sick days that workers can take in a given year?
Employers are not permitted by the Washington paid sick leave statute to restrict the number of sick leave hours that employees can utilize in a given year or the total number of hours that they have in their sick leave bank.
Is it possible for companies to offer all of the leave at once rather than allowing it to accrue?
The accrual requirement of one hour for every 40 hours worked under the legislation allows employers to frontload leave using a reasonable estimate. Employers must inform staff members that the amount frontloaded is equivalent to or greater than what they would have gotten through regular accrual, and they must have a documented policy defining frontloading obligations. Employers are required to make the necessary corrections within 30 days of becoming aware of the disparity if they frontload too little. They are unable to recover extra frontloaded time.
Does unused leave have to be carried over by employers?
Yes, workers are able to carry over up to 40 hours of paid sick leave that they have accrued and not utilized to the next year. Even in cases where employers frontload, this obligation remains in effect.
What is the minimum amount of leave that an employee is permitted to take?
Employers are required to provide workers leave in the same one-hour increments that their payroll system employs for absences, unless the Washington Department of Labor approves an exception for a valid reason.
What notice is required of both employers and employees?
Employers are required to post a notice of paid sick leave privileges in a prominent place and give a one-time notice at the time of recruitment. Monthly updates displaying accrual, consumption, and available balance must also be provided. Employers are required to verify that the amount of frontloaded leave offered meets or surpasses the accrual criteria. Every policy pertaining to notification and verification needs to be in written and easily available to staff members.
When taking foreseeable absence, employees must notify their employers at least ten days in advance, or as soon as is reasonably possible. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, notice must be given as soon as feasible before the shift starts for unforeseen demands.
What kind of proof are employers allowed to request?
Employers may demand proof of leave necessity for absences longer than three consecutive workdays. Employees cannot be subjected to excessive costs as a result of this obligation, and disclosure of particular medical conditions cannot be required for verification. Verification cannot be requested by employers prior to the tenth calendar day following the start of absence.
When workers take this vacation, are their employment and benefits protected?
Yes, workers who take this leave do not lose their jobs. With the exception of construction workers hired for fewer than ninety days, businesses are generally exempt from paying out unused sick leave at separation. Employers are required to restore unused and accrued sick leave and apply any prior employment time toward the initial waiting periods if workers are rehired within a year.
Washington Paid Sick Leave Laws and Requirements for 2025.