More WA workers will soon be eligible for overtime

For the first time on over 40 years, overtime rules have been updated in Washington state, affecting tens of thousands of employees.

Washington State Labor and Industries Director Joel Sax says the changes are three-fold.

"First, it increases the minimum amount workers must earn in order to be exempt from the protections of the Minimum Wage Act. Second, it links future increases to changes in the state's minimum wage, so that we don't fall behind again. And third, it aligns our state rules on qualifying job duties to align with federal rules to simplify things for businesses."

Changes to these rules will mean some employers will have to provide overtime, minimum wage, and paid sick leave to some employees who were previously treated as exempt. Sax says these changes do NOT mandate businesses change what they pay salaried employees, however...

"What the rule does say is that for someone to be exempt from the protections of the Minimum Wage Act, which include overtime pay, they must be paid the salary articulated in the threshold and comply with the job duties test", Sax adds.

The effective date for the first threshold increase is July 1, 2020.