This website is home to the Washington State Workers’ Rights Manual and provides an easy overview of everyone’s Workplace Rights.
Every year, thousands of workplace violations go unaddressed. Use this site to make sure your rights are not being violated.
Here are your
5 basic rights in Washington
In Washington state, you have five basic rights as a worker. Click on the individual rights below for more information.
1) You have the right to be paid
Your rights to a minimum wage, tips, prevailing wage, overtime, rest breaks and scheduling. What you need to know about termination and unemployment. What to do about wage theft.
2) You have the right to take care of yourself & your family
Your rights to Sick and Safe Leave, Family, Pregnancy and other Leaves, Workers’ Compensation when injured on the job, and Disability when unable to work.
3) You have the right to be free of discrimination
Laws that protect workers from discrimination in the workplace, including who is protected and how to file discrimination complaints. How to respond to sexual harassment in the workplace.
4) You have the right to be safe at work
Your rights to a safe workplace, in the workplace, employer and employee safety responsibilities, how to enforce workplace safety, and workplace safety for undocumented workers.
5) You have the right to organize
A Voice on the Job Leads to a Better Job. How workers can organize together to improve conditions at work through a union or other organization.
Updates
Here are selected sections of the manual that have undergone recent updates.
Updated Minimum Wages for 2024
The minimum wage in Washington State is $16.28 an hour as of January 1st. 2024. Seattle’s minimum wage also increased to $19.97 an hour for most workers, and SeaTac’s increased to $19.71 an hour for hospitality and transportation industry employees in SeaTac, including the Airport. Tukwila’s new minimum wage increased to $20.29 an hour, and large employers in Renton will have to pay the same starting July 1st. See more in Chapter 1.1 Minimum Wage
Outdoor Heat Exposure Rules
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) adopted updated heat exposure rules effective July 17, 2023 requiring employers to:
- Provide both a sufficient amount of cool drinking water to employees along with opportunities to drink the water.
- Provide adequate shade (or alternative cooling methods) at all times, to allow for access to prevent or respond to heat illness.
- Encourage and allow workers to take paid, preventative cool down rest periods so they don’t overheat. When temperatures are 90°F or hotter, require workers to take additional paid, cool down rest periods of at least 10 minutes every 2 hours. Longer and more frequent breaks are indicated when temperatures continue to rise to 100°F.
- Closely observe employees not acclimatized to the heat, including new employees, those returning from absences, and all workers during a heat wave.
- Have emergency procedures to respond appropriately to any employee with symptoms of heat-related illness.
- Make sure supervisors and employees always have a way to communicate with each other so they can promptly report heat illness and get medical assistance.
Read the full fact sheet, “Permanent Changes to Outdoor Heat Exposure Rules” and the full rule change here.
New Pay and Benefit Info in Job Postings Requirement
Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act has new protections for workers effective January 1st, 2023. Employers with 15 or more employees must now include in a job posting the wage scale or salary range for the job along with a general description of all benefits and other compensation. For details see Chapter 3.6 Gender and Pay Equity Discrimination in Employment
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