Changes in Washington overtime rules effective July 1

New overtime rules establishing what types of workers qualify for overtime pay took effect on July 1.

Under the new rules, employers can use the updated job duties test to determine which workers are considered executive, administrative, and professional employees, as well as to determine if an employee is classified as exempt. The new test replaces the previous tests and aligns more closely with federal standards.

The change will not impact most salaried workers this year because the federal requirement that a salaried worker needs to earn at least $684 per week to be exempt from overtime is below the current state threshold. Employers will have to meet the state threshold beginning January 1, 2021, when it will exceed the federal level.

The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has created several tools that explain the changes, including an online course that details the updates and leads users through a series of questions and answers to help determine if a worker meets the requirements to be considered exempt. More information is available on the L&I webpage for overtime rulemaking, and the tools can be found on the Resource Center webpage.