WashingtonWashington labor officials may prioritize workers’ wage complaints
Washington’s labor department may investigate wage complaints, must publish how it will prioritize them, and generally must decide accepted complaints within 60 days.
What it does
The labor department may investigate workers’ wage complaints. It must publish how it will choose which complaints to investigate, considering harm, severity, how many workers may be affected, and retaliation risk.
For an accepted wage complaint that is not otherwise resolved, the department must issue a citation or a notice that the employer complied within 60 days. It may take longer if it gives both sides advance written notice explaining why and for how long.
When an employer accepts the department’s offer to settle a covered wage complaint without a citation, the settlement must include monthly interest on amounts owed. The worker may ask to reduce or waive that interest.
Argument forPublished priorities may help the department focus on complaints involving serious harm, many workers, or a greater chance of retaliation.
Argument againstWorkers may wait longer for a decision if the department uses its priorities to choose which complaints to investigate.
More detail
The Department of Labor and Industries may investigate wage complaints and must use written priorities to choose which ones to investigate. This applies to employees who file wage complaints with the department. The priorities must consider factors including harm to the worker, the complaint’s severity, how many workers may be affected, and the chance of retaliation. The department must make its enforcement priorities public.
After accepting a complaint, the department must issue a citation or a notice that the employer complied, unless the complaint is otherwise resolved. This applies to wage complaints that the department accepts. The department may extend the deadline if it gives the worker and employer advance written notice explaining good cause and the length of the extension. The 60-day period starts when the department accepts the complaint.
A covered settlement must include monthly interest on amounts owed. This applies when the department offers an employer a resolution without a citation for a wage complaint filed on or after January 1, 2024, and the employer accepts. The worker may ask to reduce or waive the interest as part of the settlement process. This applies to complaints filed on or after January 1, 2024.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 24Effective date 6/11/2026.Latest
- Mar 24Chapter 176, 2026 Laws.Major
- Mar 24Governor Bob Ferguson signed.Became Law
- Mar 12Delivered to Governor.To Governor
- Mar 11Speaker signed.Major
- Mar 11President signed.Passed House
- Mar 10Passed final passage; yeas, 46; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 2.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Final Passage as Amended by the House (#14). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 10Senate concurred in House amendments.
- Mar 4Third reading, passed; yeas, 96; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 2.Minor
- Vote recorded Final Passage as Amended by the House (#11). Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 4Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Mar 4Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- Mar 3Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.Minor
- Feb 25Referred to Rules 2 Review.Minor
- Feb 24LAWS - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).Minor
- Feb 24Executive action taken in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 20Public hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 12First reading, referred to Labor & Workplace Standards.Minor
- Feb 10Third reading, passed; yeas, 47; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 1.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#24). Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 10Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Feb 10Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- Feb 4Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.Minor
- Jan 26Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- Jan 23Minority; do not pass.Minor
- Jan 23LC - Majority; do pass.Minor
- Jan 23Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 8:00 AM.
- Jan 19Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 10:30 AM.
- Jan 12First reading, referred to Labor & Commerce.Minor
- Jan 9Prefiled for introduction.Introduced
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