Hours Worked: Washington

Federal law and guidance on this subject should be reviewed together with this section.

Author: Patrick M. Madden, K&L Gates LLP

Summary

• An employer must compensate employees for all hours worked, and cannot escape this obligation by adopting policies that require prior approval for overtime or work outside of a schedule. See Overview.
• "Hours worked" is defined by regulation as all time when an employee is authorized or required by the employer to be on duty on the employer's premises or at a prescribed workplace. See Overview.
• Employees must be allowed to take a meal period if they work a certain amount of time. Employees also must be provided rest periods under certain circumstances. See Break Periods.
• Washington's administrative guidance also addresses several other issues involving hours worked. See Waiting Time and On-Call Time; Travel Time; Training, Lectures and Meetings; Sleeping and Activities Before and After a Shift ('Preliminary and Postliminary').
• Seattle has requirements pertaining to hours worked. See Local Requirements.