As the new year is ushered in, Washington state employers can be assured of several new employment laws impacting their business. Two of these laws will result in changes to payroll.

The first law imposes the 2019 Minimum Wage that increased to $12/hour effective January 1, 2019. The new minimum wage applies to all employees over the age of 16 years in all industries, including agriculture. The new wage-and-hour law does not apply to those employers in the cities of Sea-Tac, Seattle and Tacoma, where there are higher minimums imposed.

The second law that has been implemented effective January 1, 2019 is regarding the payroll deductions required of all employees related to the new WA  Paid Family and Medical Leave. All employers, regardless of size, must begin deducting these premiums for all employees starting in January and begin tracking these deductions effective immediately.

More information on the premiums and reporting can be found on the Washington State Paid Leave site HERE.