Revised Code of Washington Chapter 49.48 — Wages—Payment—Collection

Washington · statute · Wash. Rev. Code ch. 49.48 · 30 active provisions

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.010

Payment of wages/nonsufficient funds—Employer must reimburse employee for fees charged—Exception—Payment of wages due to employee ceasing work to be at end of pay period—Exceptions—Authorized deductions or withholdings

(1)(a) When any employer pays an employee's wages with any instrument defined by RCW 62A.3-104 that is subsequently returned for nonsufficient funds, the employer shall reimburse the employee for a fee charged by the employee's financial institution for the dishonored instrument so long as the employee presents the ins…

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Labor & Employment

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.020

Penalty for noncompliance with RCW 49.48.010 through 49.48.030 and 49.48.060

Any person, firm, or corporation which violates any of the provisions of RCW 49.48.010 through 49.48.030 and 49.48.060 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

WashingtonWages—Payment—Collectioneffective

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.030

Attorney's fee in action on wages—Exception

In any action in which any person is successful in recovering judgment for wages or salary owed to him or her, reasonable attorney's fees, in an amount to be determined by the court, shall be assessed against said employer or former employer: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That this section shall not apply if the amount of recover…

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Courts & Civil Procedure Labor & Employment

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.040

Enforcement of wage claims—Issuance of subpoenas—Compliance

(1) The department of labor and industries may:(a) Upon obtaining information indicating an employer may be committing a violation under this chapter and chapters 39.12 and 49.46 RCW and associated rules, conduct investigations to ensure compliance with this chapter and chapters 39.12 and 49.46 RCW and associated rules…

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Courts & Civil Procedure Labor & Employment

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.050

Remedy cumulative

Nothing herein contained shall be construed to limit the authority of the prosecuting attorney of any county to prosecute actions, both civil and criminal, for such violations of RCW 49.48.040 through 49.48.080 as may come to his or her knowledge, or to enforce the provisions hereof independently and without specific d…

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Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.060

Director may require bond after assignment of wage claims or receipt of a wage complaint—Court action—Penalty for failure to pay wage claim

(1) If upon investigation by the director, after taking assignments of any wage claim under RCW 49.48.040 or after receiving a wage complaint as defined in RCW 49.48.082 from an employee, it appears to the director that the employer is representing to his or her employees that he or she is able to pay wages for their s…

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Courts & Civil Procedure Labor & Employment

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.070

Enforcement

It shall be the duty of the director of labor and industries to inquire diligently for any violations of RCW 49.48.040 through 49.48.080, and to institute the actions for penalties herein provided, and to enforce generally the provisions of RCW 49.48.040 through 49.48.080.

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Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.075

Reciprocal enforcement agreements with other states

(1) The director of labor and industries, or the director's designee, may enter into reciprocal agreements with the labor department or corresponding agency of any other state or with the person, board, officer, or commission authorized to act on behalf of such department or agency, for the collection in such other sta…

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Government Administration

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.080

Public employees excluded

Nothing in RCW 49.48.040 through 49.48.080 shall apply to the payment of wages or compensation of employees directly employed by any county, incorporated city or town, or other municipal corporation. Nor shall anything herein apply to employees, directly employed by the state, any department, bureau, office, board, com…

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Government Administration

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.082

Wage complaints—Definitions

The definitions in this section apply throughout this section and RCW 49.48.083 through 49.48.086:(1) "Citation" means a written determination by the department that a wage payment requirement has been violated.(2) "Department" means the department of labor and industries.(3) "Determination of compliance" means a writt…

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Labor & Employment

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.083

Wage complaints—Duty of department to investigate—Citations and notices of assessment—Civil penalties (as amended by 2026 c 53)

(1)(a) If an employee files a wage complaint with the department, the department ((shall))may investigate the wage complaint. In determining which complaints will be investigated, the department must establish a written process by which wage complaints will be prioritized based on factors including, but not limited to,…

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Government Administration Labor & Employment Taxation

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.084

Wage complaints—Administrative appeals

(1) A person, firm, or corporation aggrieved by a citation and notice of assessment or a determination of compliance issued by the department under RCW 49.48.083 or the assessment of civil penalty due to a determination of status as a repeat willful violator may appeal the citation and notice of assessment, the determi…

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Government Administration

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.085

Wage complaints—Employee termination of administrative action

(1) An employee who has filed a wage complaint with the department may elect to terminate the department's administrative action, thereby preserving any private right of action, by providing written notice to the department within ten business days after the employee's receipt of the department's citation and notice of…

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Government Administration Labor & Employment

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.086

Collection procedures

(1) After a final order is issued under RCW 49.48.084, if an employer defaults in the payment of: (a) Any wages determined by the department to be owed to an employee, including interest; or (b) any civil penalty ordered by the department under RCW 49.48.083, the director may file with the clerk of any county within th…

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Courts & Civil Procedure Labor & Employment

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.087

Rules

The director may adopt rules to carry out the purposes of RCW 49.48.082 through 49.48.086.

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Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.090

Assignment of wages—Requisites to validity

No assignment of, or order for, wages to be earned in the future to secure a loan of less than three hundred dollars, shall be valid against an employer of the person making said assignment or order unless said assignment or order is accepted in writing by the employer, and said assignment or order, and the acceptance…

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Labor & Employment

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.100

Written consent of spouse required

No assignment of, or order for, wages to be earned in the future shall be valid, when made by a married person, unless the written consent of the other spouse to the making of such assignment or order is attached thereto.

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Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.115

Employer defined

For the purposes of RCW 49.48.120 the word "employer" shall include every person, firm, partnership, corporation, the state of Washington, and all municipal corporations.

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Labor & Employment

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.120

Payment on employee's death

(1) If at the time of the death of any person, his or her employer is indebted to him or her for work, labor, and services performed, and no executor or administrator of his or her estate has been appointed, the employer shall upon the request of the surviving spouse pay the indebtedness in an amount as may be due not…

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Labor & Employment

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.150

Sales representatives—Definitions

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 49.48.160 through 49.48.190.(1) "Commission" means compensation paid a sales representative by a principal in an amount based on a percentage of the dollar amount of certain orders for or sales of the principal's product…

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Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.160

Sales representatives—Contract—Agreement

(1) A contract between a principal and a sales representative under which the sales representative is to solicit wholesale orders within this state must be in writing and must set forth the method by which the sales representative's commission is to be computed and paid. The principal shall provide the sales representa…

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Business & Commerce

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.170

Sales representatives—Payment

A principal shall pay wages and commissions at the usual place of payment unless the sales representative requests that the wages and commissions be sent through registered mail. If, in accordance with a request by the sales representative, the sales representative's wages and commissions are sent through the mail, the…

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Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.180

Sales representatives—Principal considered doing business in this state

A principal who is not a resident of this state and who enters into a contract subject to RCW 49.48.150 through 49.48.190 is considered to be doing business in this state for purposes of the exercise of personal jurisdiction over the principal.

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Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.190

Sales representatives—Rights and remedies not exclusive—Waiver void

(1) RCW 49.48.150 through 49.48.190 supplement but do not supplant any other rights and remedies enjoyed by sales representatives.(2) A provision of RCW 49.48.150 through 49.48.190 may not be waived, whether by express waiver or by attempt to make a contract or agreement subject to the laws of another state. A waiver o…

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Wash. Rev. Code § 49.48.200

Overpayment of wages—Government employees

(1) Debts due the state or a county or city for the overpayment of wages to their respective employees may be recovered by the employer by deductions from subsequent wage payments as provided in RCW 49.48.210, or by civil action. If the overpayment is recovered by deduction from the employee's subsequent wages, each de…

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Labor & Employment

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