Wash. Rev. Code § 49.46.210

Current through the 2024 Regular Session

Section 49.46.210 - [Effective 1/1/2025] Paid sick leave-Authorized purposes-Limitations

(1) Beginning January 1, 2018, except as provided in RCW 49.46.180, every employer shall provide each of its employees paid sick leave as follows:

(a) An employee shall accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every forty hours worked as an employee. An employer may provide paid sick leave in advance of accrual provided that such front-loading meets or exceeds the requirements of this section for accrual, use, and carryover of paid sick leave.

(b) An employee is authorized to use paid sick leave for the following reasons:

(i) An absence resulting from an employee's mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; to accommodate the employee's need for medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or an employee's need for preventive medical care;

(ii) To allow the employee to provide care for a family member with a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; care of a family member who needs medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or care for a family member who needs preventive medical care; and

(iii) When the employee's place of business has been closed by order of a public official for any health-related reason, or when an employee's child's school or place of care has been closed for such a health-related reason or after the declaration of an emergency by a local or state government or agency, or by the federal government.

(c) An employee is authorized to use paid sick leave for absences that qualify for leave under the domestic violence leave act, chapter 49.76 RCW.

(d) An employee is entitled to use accrued paid sick leave beginning on the ninetieth calendar day after the commencement of his or her employment.

(e) Employers are not prevented from providing more generous paid sick leave policies or permitting use of paid sick leave for additional purposes.

(f) An employer may require employees to give reasonable notice of an absence from work, so long as such notice does not interfere with an employee's lawful use of paid sick leave.

(g) For absences exceeding three days, an employer may require verification that an employee's use of paid sick leave is for an authorized purpose. If an employer requires verification, verification must be provided to the employer within a reasonable time period during or after the leave. An employer's requirements for verification may not result in an unreasonable burden or expense on the employee and may not exceed privacy or verification requirements otherwise established by law.

(h) An employer may not require, as a condition of an employee taking paid sick leave, that the employee search for or find a replacement worker to cover the hours during which the employee is on paid sick leave.

(i) For each hour of paid sick leave used, an employee shall be paid the greater of the minimum hourly wage rate established in this chapter or his or her normal hourly compensation. The employer is responsible for providing regular notification to employees about the amount of paid sick leave available to the employee.

(j) Except as provided in (l) of this subsection, accrued and unused paid sick leave carries over to the following year, but an employer is not required to allow an employee to carry over paid sick leave in excess of 40 hours.

(k) Except as provided in (l) of this subsection, an employer is not required to provide financial or other reimbursement for accrued and unused paid sick leave to any employee upon the employee's termination, resignation, retirement, or other separation from employment. When there is a separation from employment and the employee is rehired within 12 months of separation by the same employer, whether at the same or a different business location of the employer, previously accrued unused paid sick leave shall be reinstated and the previous period of employment shall be counted for purposes of determining the employee's eligibility to use paid sick leave under (d) of this subsection. For purposes of this subsection (1)(k), "previously accrued and unused paid sick leave" does not include sick leave paid out to a construction worker under (l) of this subsection.

(l)

(i) A construction industry employer must pay a construction worker, who has not met the 90th day eligibility under (d) of this subsection at the time of separation, the balance of the worker's accrued and unused paid sick leave at the end of the established pay period following the worker's separation pursuant to RCW 49.48.010(2).

(ii) The definitions in this subsection (1)(l)(ii) apply throughout this subsection (1)(l) unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(A) "Construction worker" means a worker who performed service, maintenance, or construction work on a jobsite, in the field or in a fabrication shop using the tools of the worker's trade or craft.

(B) "Construction industry employer" means an employer in the industry described in North American industry classification system industry code 23, except for residential building construction code 2361.

(2) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section, except for subsection (5) of this section:

(a) "Family member" means a child, grandchild, grandparent, parent, sibling, or spouse of an employee, and also includes any individual who regularly resides in the employee's home or where the relationship creates an expectation that the employee care for the person, and that individual depends on the employee for care. "Family member" includes any individual who regularly resides in the employee's home, except that it does not include an individual who simply resides in the same home with no expectation that the employee care for the individual.

(b) "Child" means a biological, adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, a child's spouse, or a child to whom the employee stands in loco parentis, is a legal guardian, or is a de facto parent, regardless of age or dependency status.

(c) "Grandchild" means a child of the employee's child.

(d) "Grandparent" means a parent of the employee's parent.

(e) "Parent" means the biological, adoptive, de facto, or foster parent, stepparent, or legal guardian of an employee or the employee's spouse, or an individual who stood in loco parentis to an employee when the employee was a child.

(f) "Spouse" means a husband or wife, as the case may be, or state registered domestic partner.

(3) An employer may not adopt or enforce any policy that counts the use of paid sick leave time as an absence that may lead to or result in discipline against the employee.

(4) An employer may not discriminate or retaliate against an employee for his or her exercise of any rights under this chapter including the use of paid sick leave.

(5)

(a) The definitions in this subsection apply to this subsection:

(i) "Average hourly compensation" means a driver's compensation during passenger platform time from, or facilitated by, the transportation network company, during the 365 days immediately prior to the day that paid sick time is used, divided by the total hours of passenger platform time worked by the driver on that transportation network company's driver platform during that period. "Average hourly compensation" does not include tips.

(ii) "Driver," "driver platform," "passenger platform time," and "transportation network company" have the meanings provided in RCW 49.46.300.

(iii) "Earned paid sick time" is the time provided by a transportation network company to a driver as calculated under this subsection. For each hour of earned paid sick time used by a driver, the transportation network company shall compensate the driver at a rate equal to the driver's average hourly compensation.

(iv) For purposes of drivers, the following definitions apply:

(A) "Family member" means a child, grandchild, grandparent, parent, sibling, or spouse of a driver, and also includes any individual who regularly resides in the driver's home or where the relationship creates an expectation that the driver care for the person, and that individual depends on the driver for care. "Family member" includes any individual who regularly resides in the driver's home, except that it does not include an individual who simply resides in the same home with no expectation that the driver care for the individual.

(B) "Child" means a biological, adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, a child's spouse, or a child to whom the driver stands in loco parentis, is a legal guardian, or is a de facto parent, regardless of age or dependency status.

(C) "Grandchild" means a child of the driver's child.

(D) "Grandparent" means a parent of the driver's parent.

(E) "Parent" means the biological, adoptive, de facto, or foster parent, stepparent, or legal guardian of a driver or the driver's spouse, or an individual who stood in loco parentis to a driver when the driver was a child.

(F) "Spouse" means a husband or wife, as the case may be, or state registered domestic partner.

(b) Beginning January 1, 2023, a transportation network company must provide to each driver operating on its driver platform compensation for earned paid sick time as required by this subsection and subject to the provisions of this subsection. A driver shall accrue one hour of earned paid sick time for every 40 hours of passenger platform time worked.

(c) A driver is entitled to use accrued earned paid sick time upon recording 90 hours of passenger platform time on the transportation network company's driver platform.

(d) For each hour of earned paid sick time used, a driver shall be paid the driver's average hourly compensation.

(e) A transportation network company shall establish an accessible system for drivers to request and use earned paid sick time. The system must be available to drivers via smartphone application and online web portal.

(f) A driver may carry over up to 40 hours of unused earned paid sick time to the next calendar year. If a driver carries over unused earned paid sick time to the following year, accrual of earned paid sick time in the subsequent year must be in addition to the hours accrued in the previous year and carried over.

(g) A driver is entitled to use accrued earned paid sick time if the driver has used the transportation network company's platform as a driver within 90 calendar days preceding the driver's request to use earned paid sick time.

(h) A driver is entitled to use earned paid sick time for the following reasons:

(i) An absence resulting from the driver's mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; to accommodate the driver's need for medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or an employee's need for preventive medical care;

(ii) To allow the driver to provide care for a family member with a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; care of a family member who needs medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or care for a family member who needs preventive medical care;

(iii) When the driver's child's school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official for any health-related reason or has been closed after the declaration of an emergency by a local or state government or agency, or by the federal government;

(iv) For absences for which an employee would be entitled for leave under RCW 49.76.030; and

(v) During a deactivation or other status that prevents the driver from performing network services on the transportation network company's platform, unless the deactivation or status is due to a verified allegation of sexual assault or physical assault perpetrated by the driver.

(i) If a driver does not record any passenger platform time in a transportation network company's driver platform for 365 or more consecutive days, any unused earned paid sick time accrued up to that point with that transportation network company is no longer valid or recognized.

(j) Drivers may use accrued days of earned paid sick time in increments of a minimum of four or more hours. Drivers are entitled to request four or more hours of earned paid sick time for immediate use, including consecutive days of use. Drivers are not entitled to use more than eight hours of earned paid sick time within a single calendar day.

(k) A transportation network company shall compensate a driver for requested hours or days of earned paid sick time no later than 14 calendar days or the next regularly scheduled date of compensation following the requested hours or days of earned paid sick time.

(l) A transportation network company shall not request or require reasonable verification of a driver's qualifying illness except as would be permitted to be requested of an employee under subsection (1)(g) of this section. If a transportation network company requires verification pursuant to this subsection, the transportation network company must compensate the driver for the requested hours or days of earned paid sick time no later than the driver's next regularly scheduled date of compensation after satisfactory verification is provided.

(m) If a driver accepts an offer of prearranged services for compensation from a transportation network company during the four-hour period or periods for which the driver requested earned paid sick time, a transportation network company may determine that the driver did not use earned paid sick time for an authorized purpose.

(n) A transportation network company shall provide each driver with:

(i) Written notification of the current rate of average hourly compensation while a passenger is in the vehicle during the most recent calendar month for use of earned paid sick time;

(ii) An updated amount of accrued earned paid sick time since the last notification;

(iii) Reduced earned paid sick time since the last notification;

(iv) Any unused earned paid sick time available for use; and

(v) Any amount that the transportation network company may subtract from the driver's compensation for earned paid sick time. The transportation network company shall provide this information to the driver no less than monthly. The transportation network company may choose a reasonable system for providing this notification, including but not limited to: A pay stub; a weekly summary of compensation information; or an online system where drivers can access their own earned paid sick time information. A transportation network company is not required to provide this information to a driver if the driver has not worked any days since the last notification.

(o) A transportation network company may not adopt or enforce any policy that counts the use of earned paid sick time as an absence that may lead to or result in any action that adversely affects the driver's use of the transportation network.

(p) A transportation network company may not take any action against a driver that adversely affects the driver's use of the transportation network due to his or her exercise of any rights under this subsection including the use of earned paid sick time.

(q) The department may adopt rules to implement this subsection.

RCW 49.46.210

Amended by 2024 c 356,§ 1, eff. 1/1/2025.

Amended by 2024 c 39,§ 1, eff. 3/13/2024.

Amended by 2023 c 267,§ 1, eff. 1/1/2024.

Amended by 2022 c 281,§ 6, eff. 6/9/2022.

Amended by 2019 c 236,§ 3, eff. 7/28/2019.

Added by 2017 c 2,§ 5, eff. 1/1/2017.

Reviser's note: This section was amended by 2024 c 39 s 1 and by 2024 c 356 s 1, each without reference to the other. Both amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section under RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1).

Effective date- 2024 c 356 : "This act takes effect January 1, 2025." [2024 c 356 s 2.]

Department of labor and industries materials and outreach- 2024 c 356 : "The department of labor and industries must develop materials and conduct outreach to inform individuals and businesses of the new provisions of this act." [2024 c 356 s 3.]

Effective date- 2024 c 39 : "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [March 13, 2024]." [2024 c 39 s 2.]

Effective date- 2023 c 267 : "This act takes effect January 1, 2024." [2023 c 267 s 3.]

Finding- 2019 c 236 : See note following RCW 49.46.020.

Intent-Effective date- 2017 c 2 (Initiative Measure No. 1433): See notes following RCW 49.46.005.

This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.