Are employers required to provide sick leave to employees?

In the state of Washington, employers are legally mandated to provide sick leave to employees. This is part of the state’s Wage and Hour Law. All employers of any size, from small businesses to large corporations, must provide paid sick leave to their employees. Employers must allow workers to accrue paid sick and safe leave at a rate of at least 1 hour of leave for every 40 hours of work. This means that employees may accrue up to 40 hours of paid sick leave each year. Employees must also be allowed to carry over any unused hours of paid sick leave from one year to the next. Employees may use their paid sick leave for many purposes, including their own or a family member’s physical or mental illness, medical diagnosis, preventive medical care, or medical appointments. Employees are also allowed to use their paid sick leave to address the effects of domestic violence or sexual assault. Employers must also provide job protection to employees who take leave due to a covered reason. Employers who fail to abide by the state’s Wage and Hour Law may face legal consequences, including fines. All employees of private businesses in Washington are provided these rights by law and employers must take this seriously.

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