Washington Wage & Hour Claim Calculator

Both the federal FLSA and Washington wage law protect workers' pay, and employees get the benefit of whichever sets the higher standard. Typical Washington wage cases involve unpaid overtime, employee misclassification, unpaid final wages, illegal deductions, or missed meal and rest breaks.

A powerful feature of wage law is that it often doubles the recovery: under the FLSA, unpaid wages can be awarded together with an equal amount in liquidated damages, and many states add their own penalties for willful violations. Prevailing employees are also typically entitled to attorney fees, so a Washington wage claim can be worth substantially more than the raw unpaid wages alone.

The FLSA generally allows 2 years to recover back wages, extended to 3 years for willful violations. Washington's own wage statute of limitations is about 3 years, in line with the national average of 3.6 years, and the longer applicable period usually controls — so the sooner you act, the more back pay you can recover.

You can pursue unpaid wages in Washington even while still employed — retaliation for asserting wage rights is illegal under both federal and state law. Claims can go through your state labor agency, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, or a private attorney, and many wage cases proceed as collective or class actions when one policy affected multiple workers.

Breaks at work in Washington, as recorded on a review of official state sources completed 2026-09-15. Meal break: required for adult workers, at least 30 minutes, unpaid; when: more than 5 consecutive hours; must start between hour 2 and hour 5 of the shift. Meal break exceptions: waivable by mutual agreement; minors and agricultural workers have separate rules; some CBA construction trades and certain pre-2003 public employer rules excluded. Rest break: required, paid 10 minutes per 4 hours of working time, near the midpoint; no more than 3 hours without a rest period; intermittent breaks allowed where work permits. If a required break is not given: none in statute or rule.

Final paychecks in Washington. If you are fired: end of the established pay period (next regularly scheduled payday). If you quit: end of the established pay period (next regularly scheduled payday). Unused vacation: whether earned, unused vacation is paid out depends on the employer's policy or the employment agreement. If the final paycheck is late: double damages (twice the wages withheld) plus costs and attorney fees for willful withholding. A break that was never given or a final paycheck that arrives late can be part of a wage claim, and the break and final paycheck guide in the related reading below compares every state.