On Monday of this week, several wage-related regulations in Washington underwent significant changes. These updates, provided by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), are important for employers to understand:
Updated state minimum wage: Washington’s minimum wage was raised to $16.28 per hour, affecting workers aged 16 and above. For younger employees aged 14-15, employers are permitted to pay 85% of this rate, amounting to $13.84 per hour.
Changes in overtime exemption for employees: The salary benchmark for overtime exemption was revised. Now, workers must earn at least $1,302.40 weekly (equivalent to $67,724.80 annually) to be exempt from overtime. This change impacts various categories of workers, including those in executive, administrative, and professional roles, as well as computer professionals and outside sales staff. Specifically, exempt computer professionals must now earn a minimum hourly wage of $56.98, which is 3.5 times the state minimum wage.
Revised criteria for non-compete agreements: The threshold for employees subject to non-compete agreements was updated. Employees must now earn over $120,559.99 annually, and independent contractors must earn more than $301,399.98 annually to be legally bound by such agreements.
