Washington Employment Law Update – October 2018

Seattle Minimum Wage Increase for 2019

On October 2, 2018, the Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) announced that the city’s minimum wage will increase in 2019 as follows:

• $16 per hour for all large employers (with more than 500 workers worldwide).
• $15 per hour for small employers (with 500 or fewer employees). Small employers can meet this requirement by paying no less than $12 per hour in wages and contributing at least $3 per hour toward an employee’s medical benefits and/or reported tips.

The OLS will update the required Labor Standards poster to reflect the minimum wage increases on or before December 1, 2018. Employers are required to display this poster, in a noticeable area in the workplace, in English and the primary language(s) of the employees at the workplace.

The increased rates are effective January 1, 2019.

Read the announcement