Washington State has recently published two updated 2025 labor law posters Washington notices: one for the revised Minimum Wage information and another for the updated Paid Family and Medical Leave Act poster. Specifically, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries revised its annual Minimum Wage Announcement poster to reflect the recent increase from $16.28 per hour to $16.66 per hour, which took effect January 1st, 2025. Meanwhile, the Washington Employment Security Department released a revised Paid Family and Medical Leave notice to reflect increases to the pay cap for partial wage replacement and the premium rate of employee wages.
Why Did the Washington Minimum Wage Increase for 2025?
A 2016 ballot initiative approved by Washington voters requires annual inflation adjustments to the Washington minimum wage rate. The thirty-eight cent minimum wage increase for 2025 reflects an annual inflation adjustment based on changes to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
While workers over 16 must now earn at least $16.66 per hour, individuals aged 14 or 15 are eligible to earn 85% of the adult minimum wage, equivalent to $14.16 per hour as of January 1st, 2025. Employers may also request sub-minimum wage certificates for specific groups such as on-the-job learners, apprentices, students, and individuals with disabilities. Keeping up with the Washington state labor posters update helps ensure that employers remain informed about these wage rules and applicable exemptions.
The state's minimum wage announcement poster is not mandatory to display in Washington but is an effective method of communicating the current state minimum pay rate to employees working in the state. It’s important for employers to display the Washington State posters required in the workplace to ensure ongoing compliance with current state regulations.
What Has Changed Regarding Paid Family and Medical Leave?
The revised Paid Family and Medical Leave poster includes increases to the shared premiums that fund the program and the partial wage replacement cap. Importantly, the updated poster notifies eligible workers that they can receive up to 90 percent of their typical pay rate when taking leave for certain permissible reasons. This partial wage replacement is now capped at $1,542 per week.
Under state law, employees can take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth of a child or a serious medical condition, to care for a seriously ill family member, or military leave. Employees become eligible for such leave if they work 820 hours in a year or roughly 16 hours per week.
The state's paid leave program is funded by employer and employee contributions, now equaling 0.92% of each employee's wages. Employers can deduct up to 71.52% of the total from employee paychecks.
Employer Takeaways
Washington employers must immediately post the revised 2025 Paid Family and Medical Leave poster and are advised to display the non-mandatory 2025 Minimum Wage Announcement where notices to employees are customarily posted. Additionally, employers who previously paid employees at a rate below the 2025 minimum must adjust employee compensation accordingly.
The updated 2025 Washington State & Federal Labor Law Poster from Labor Law Posters Online now features the latest mandatory notices, ensuring your Washington State labor law posters are fully compliant with current regulations. Our comprehensive compliance package guarantees inclusion of all recent changes to essential state and federal postings. Existing customers of Labor Law Posters Online with an annual plan will get the updated Washington labor posters free of charge through their poster update service.
