Washington overtime laws, explained for people who run payroll.
When overtime starts in Washington, what rate applies, what the state requires for meal and rest breaks, how often you have to pay, and what paid leave is mandated — in plain English, with a worked example. Rules change and exemptions apply, so confirm with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries before relying on any of it.
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The Washington rules in one place.
Overtime
- Weekly: Over 40 hours in a workweek
- Daily: None — Washington follows the weekly rule
- Seventh day: No
- Rate: 1.5× the regular rate of pay, which includes non-discretionary bonuses and shift differentials
Breaks and rest
- Meal: 30-minute meal period for shifts over 5 hours, taken between the 2nd and 5th hour of work (paid if the employee must stay on duty)
- Rest: 10 minutes paid for every 4 hours worked, no later than the end of the 3rd hour of each 4-hour period
- Short breaks (under 20 minutes), when offered, are paid time under federal rules
Pay and leave
- Pay frequency: At least monthly on established paydays
- Paid leave: Paid Sick Leave: 1 hour per 40 hours worked for all employees, usable after 90 days, with carryover of up to 40 hours
- Recordkeeping: hours worked each day and week must be recorded and kept (federal rule: 3 years for payroll records)
Washington vs. federal law.
Federal law sets the floor. States can add to it, and several do.
| Rule | Washington | Federal FLSA |
|---|---|---|
| Overtime after 40 hours in a workweek | Yes | Yes |
| Daily overtime | No | No |
| Seventh-day or rest-day rule | No | No |
| Meal break required for adults | Yes | No |
| Rest breaks required for adults | Yes | No |
| Paid sick leave or paid leave mandated | Yes | No |
| Pay-frequency rule | Yes | No |
| Overtime rate | 1.5× regular rate | 1.5× regular rate |
| Records of hours worked required | Yes | Yes |
Where Washington and federal law differ, the rule more favorable to the employee applies. Exemptions (executive, administrative, professional, outside sales and others) are not covered here.
How the Washington rules work in practice.
What a real week looks like.
A warehouse crew works five 9-hour shifts — 45 hours and 5 hours of overtime at 1.5×. Each 9-hour shift also requires a 30-minute meal period and two paid 10-minute rest breaks; a missed rest break is paid time plus a potential claim.
- Washington enforces rest-break timing, not just whether a break happened
- Minimum wage adjusts annually for inflation and is among the highest in the country
- Seattle, Tacoma and other cities layer on their own sick-leave and scheduling rules
Overtime is 1.5× the regular rate, not 1.5× the hourly wage.
If an employee earns a non-discretionary bonus, a shift differential or multiple hourly rates in the same week, those are folded into the regular rate before the 1.5× multiplier. Getting this wrong is the most common overtime error in wage claims.
- Non-discretionary bonuses count
- Shift differentials count
- Discretionary bonuses, expense reimbursements and PTO payouts don't
Hours-to-date against the threshold, before payday.
PunchPro records clock-ins with location at the punch, calculates regular and overtime hours by the thresholds you set for Washington, flags anyone on overtime pace mid-week, records breaks, and exports approved hours to QuickBooks, ADP, Paychex, Paycom. Pay is calculated in your payroll process.
- Weekly and daily thresholds by location
- Break tracking with long/short break flags
- Audit trail on every edit
Set Washington rules once. Track them automatically.
No implementation project. Most teams are set up in an afternoon.
Set your thresholds
Weekly overtime, break rules and pay period for your Washington locations.
Add your people
Import a CSV; each employee gets a text with the app link.
See overtime on Wednesday
Hours-to-date against the threshold for everyone, flagged before the period closes.
Washington overtime questions, answered plainly.
When does overtime start in Washington?
Over 40 hours in a workweek, at 1.5× the regular rate. There is no daily overtime; only hours over 40 in the workweek count.
Does Washington require meal or rest breaks?
Meal: 30-minute meal period for shifts over 5 hours, taken between the 2nd and 5th hour of work (paid if the employee must stay on duty). Rest: 10 minutes paid for every 4 hours worked, no later than the end of the 3rd hour of each 4-hour period.
Can I average two weeks to avoid overtime in Washington?
No. Overtime is calculated on each fixed, recurring 7-day workweek on its own, under both federal and state law.
Is comp time instead of overtime pay allowed in Washington?
For private employers, no. Hours over the threshold must be paid as overtime wages; comp time in lieu of pay is generally only available to public-sector employers.
How often do I have to pay employees in Washington?
At least monthly on established paydays.
Does PunchPro calculate overtime pay?
PunchPro calculates regular and overtime hours by your thresholds and exports them to QuickBooks, ADP, Paychex, Paycom. The pay itself is calculated in your payroll process. This page is general information, not legal advice; confirm current rules with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.
Related: Overtime tracking software · Time tracking · Time off · Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
See Washington overtime on Wednesday, not payday.
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