Starting on January 1, 2018, employers in Washington will be required to provide employees with paid sick leave. Generally, the new law provides:
- Employees are eligible to accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked;
- Sick leave is paid at an employee’s regular hourly wage;
- Employees can use sick leave after 90 days of employment and can carry over up to 40 hours of sick leave from year to year;
- Paid sick leave can be used by employees:
- To care for themselves or family members;
- When an employee’s workplace or child’s school is closed for health reasons;
- For an absence under the Domestic Violence Leave Act;
The benefits above are the minimum entitlement for employees. Employers can elect to provide for employees to accrue and/or carry over more sick time than required by the law.
L&I is currently drafting rules for the new paid sick leave law. The rules are being developed in two phases: (1) employer requirements and employee rights, and; (2) enforcement of the new law. Public hearings on the draft proposed rules begin in November.
We will post again once the rules are released.
