Washington meal breaks, rest breaks, and paid sick leave

Washington meal period requirements

Employees working more than five hours are entitled to a 30-minute meal period, and it must be taken no less than two hours and no more than five hours from the beginning of the shift. That window is narrower than most states and is the part schedulers most often miss.

The meal period can be unpaid only if the employee is fully relieved of duty. If they are required to remain on duty or stay on the premises in a way that prevents a genuine break, the time is paid.

An additional 30-minute meal period is required for each additional five hours worked beyond the initial period, which matters on long peak-season shifts.

Washington rest break requirements

Employees are entitled to a paid 10-minute rest break for every four hours worked, scheduled as near as possible to the midpoint of each four-hour work period.

Washington adds a constraint most states do not: no employee may work more than three consecutive hours without a rest break. Even if the four-hour math works out, a schedule that pushes past three hours without a break does not comply.

Washington paid sick leave

Washington employees accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked. That is slower than the one-per-30 rate used by California, Colorado, and New York, so do not assume a common accrual setting works across a multi-state portfolio.

There is no annual cap on how much accrued leave an employee may use. Employers must allow carryover of up to 40 hours of unused paid sick leave into the following year.

Newly accrued leave becomes available for use on the 90th calendar day after the start of employment. The set of qualifying reasons has been expanded in recent years, including additions related to immigration proceedings and, effective in 2026, further expansions to job-protected leave provisions.

Seattle and local ordinances

Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time ordinance operates alongside the state law and can be more generous depending on employer size. If you operate inside Seattle city limits, compare both and apply whichever provision favors the employee.

This is the general rule wherever a local ordinance exists. State law sets a floor, not a ceiling.

Verify before you set policy

This guide is general information for store operators, not legal advice. Break and paid sick leave rules change, and city ordinances can be stricter than state law. Verify the current requirements with your state labor agency or an employment attorney before setting policy.