Child Labor Changes
Effective July 1, 2026, Washington's working hour restrictions are amended to allow 16- and 17-year-olds enrolled in certain career and technical education (CTE) programs to work the same number of hours and days during the school year as would be permitted during school vacations or holidays.
Also effective July 1, 2026, under an amendment to Washington's employment certificates/work permits law, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (DLI) will revoke an employer's minor work permit and prohibit the employer from obtaining a minor work permit for at least 12 months if the employer has been issued certain safety and health citations or restraining orders.
Fair Chance Amendments
Effective July 1, 2026, criminal history inquiries are prohibited before a conditional job offer for Washington employers with 15 or more employees. Amendments to the Fair Chance Act also:
- Restrict adverse employment actions based on most arrest records or juvenile conviction records;
- Prohibit adverse action based on adult conviction records without a legitimate business reason; and
- Require employers to provide notice and an opportunity for an individual to respond before taking an adverse employment action based on criminal background information.
Unemployment Insurance Coverage
Beginning June 11, 2026, Washington workers separated from employment due to employer-initiated layoffs or workforce reductions may receive unemployment benefits even if the employee offered to be part of that workforce reduction.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Effective June 11, 2026, HB 2345 amends the state paid family and medical (PFML) law to modify the allocation of the employer and employee premium shares.
Employers may withhold from employees' reportable wages up to 100% of the medical leave premium and up to a specified percentage of the family leave premium. The specified percentage of the family leave premium is an amount equal to the difference between:
- The full amount of the premium required for family leave plus 45% of the full amount of the premium required for medical leave; and
- The full amount of the premium required for medical leave.
Using the 2026 allocation of the total premium—48.06% family premium and 51.94% medical premium—the specified percentage of the family leave premium that an employer may withhold from an employee's reportable wages would be approximately 40%. The resulting total premiums will be approximately the same as calculated for 2026 - 71.43% paid by employees and 28.57% paid by employers.
The amendment does not change the law regarding small employers, who are not required to pay the employer portion of the premiums.
Effective June 11, 2026, the civil penalty for willful failure to pay wages is increased to $1,500 (from $1,000), and the maximum penalty cap of $20,000 is repealed.
In addition, penalties will be imposed based on the appropriateness of the penalty with respect to the number of affected employees, the gravity of the violation, the size of the employer's business, the good faith of the employer, the source or cause of any error, the promptness of remedy, the employer's history of previous complaints and violations (including enhancements for repeat willful violations) or other factors the DLI considers relevant.
Microchip Implantation
Effective June 11, 2026, Washington employers are prohibited from requesting, requiring or coercing an employee to undergo implantation of a microchip.