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.
Gender Discrimination in Employment Law
July 28, 2019, new protections for applicants applying for jobs and add additional rights for employees go into effect. Employers cannot request a job applicant’s wage or salary history, except under certain circumstances, and current employees who are offered an internal transfer, a new position or a promotion must now be shown the new job's wage scale or salary range if they request it. See Chapter 3.7 on Gender Discrimination in Employment
Special Rights for Domestic Workers in Seattle
Beginning July 1, 2019, if you are a domestic worker in Seattle – as an employee or independent contractor – working in private homes as a nanny, house cleaner, home care worker, gardener, cook, and/or household manager, you have additional rights described below. See Chapter 6.1 Domestic Workers.
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