A Washington employment contract sets out the terms of employment between an employer and an employee. It outlines the expectations of both parties, such as how much the employer will pay the employee for their work, the job responsibilities of the employee, hours of work, period of employment, and how to terminate the contract.
In Washington, a contract is a legally enforceable promise that must have consideration and mutual assent [1] .
- Laws: Title 49 RCW
- Definition of Employee: According to RCW § 49.46.010, an employee is anyone employed by an employer. This term has several exclusions under Washington law, including hand-harvest laborers and individuals engaged in casual labor.
By Type (4)
Independent Contractor Agreement
Provides a written agreement between an independent contractor and a client.
Subcontractor Agreement
Lays out the expectations for a subcontractor-contractor relationship.
Non-Compete Agreement
Prevents employees from compromising the confidentiality of sensitive business information.
Non-Disclosure Agreement
Prevents the misuse or unauthorized sharing of proprietary information.
Hiring in Washington
Before you write your Washington employment contract, make sure you know the state employment regulations, such as the minimum wage and payday requirements.
At-Will Employment
Washington is an at-will employment state. There are also exceptions to the at-will employment rules.
Exceptions
- Public Policy: Yes
- Implied Contract: Yes
- Good-Faith Exception: No
Minimum Wage ($/hr)
The minimum wage in Washington is $15.74/hour. Some cities have higher minimum wages. For example, the current minimum wage is $18.69/hour in Seattle and $19.06/hour in SeaTac [2] .
Child Labor
Employment certificates are required in Washington for minors under the age of 18 [3] .
Age certification is not required in Washington for minors who wish to work in the state.
Payday
Washington requires employers to pay employees on at least a monthly basis.
Meal and Rest Breaks
Minimum paid rest periods are required in Washington. A paid 10-minute rest period for every four-hour work period is required. The rest period should fall as close to the middle of the work period as possible, and employees can not work over three hours without a rest period.
Meal periods are also required in Washington. Employees must be allowed a meal period when they work over five hours in a shift. A meal period must be at least 30 minutes long and start between the second and fifth hours of the shift.
Employees must be paid for meal breaks if they are required to remain on duty, remain on-call on the premises (even if not called back to duty), or are called back to work, interrupting the meal period.
If an employee works over three hours beyond their scheduled shift, they are entitled to an additional 30-minute meal period, which must be granted within five hours from the end of the first meal period and for each additional five hours worked [4] .
Recordkeeping Requirements
Washington employers must keep payroll records for at least three years [5] and personnel files for at least two years after an employee’s departure from the company [6] . Some other recordkeeping requirements for employers include the following:
- Unemployment Insurance: 4 years.
- Safety and Health/Workers’ Compensation: 5 years for work-related deaths/injuries; 30 years for hazardous substances.
Sample
Below, you can download a Washington employment contract template in PDF or Word format.
