Washington § 49.96.030 - Written agreement — Required elements — Notice of termination — Recordkeeping. (Effective July 1, 2027.)

(1) A hiring entity shall specify the terms for a domestic worker's position or services and the domestic worker's rate of pay in a written agreement. If applicable for the position or services or if otherwise provided by the hiring entity, the written agreement must also include work schedules, rate of pay for additional duties, payroll deductions, transportation costs and benefits, severance benefits, health insurance coverage and costs, any applicable fees and costs for the domestic worker associated with expectations for the work, and any sick, vacation, personal, and holiday leave benefits.

(2) The written agreement must be in a language or languages understood by the worker and hiring entity. The hiring entity shall provide the domestic worker with a copy of the written agreement and a disclosure of rights specified in RCW 49.96.040.

(3)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, the hiring entity shall provide a minimum two-week written notification period before termination of the domestic worker's position or services. For a live-in domestic worker, the hiring entity shall provide a minimum four-week written notification period before termination of the domestic worker's position or services.

(b) The notification requirements in (a) of this subsection do not apply if:

(i) The applicable work performed by the domestic worker was on a casual labor basis;

(ii) The domestic worker was hired on a one-time or intermittent basis without an expectation of ongoing work;

(iii) The termination occurs during an agreed-upon probationary period;

(iv) The termination is based on a good faith belief that the domestic worker engaged in misconduct as defined in RCW 50.04.294;

(v) The termination is caused by circumstances outside of the hiring entity's control, including death;

(vi) The hiring entity and domestic worker agree that the applicable care needs have significantly changed and cannot be addressed by the current position or services; or

(vii) The domestic worker becomes unable to fulfill the requirements of the position or services as provided in the written agreement.

(c) If a hiring entity does not provide the notification required under this subsection (3), the hiring entity shall provide the domestic worker with severance pay in the amount of the worker's standard rate of pay multiplied by the regular number of hours worked over the period of time during which the required notification was not provided. For purposes of this subsection, "standard rate of pay" means the agreed-upon rate of pay between the hiring entity and domestic worker, as reflected in the written agreement.

(4) A hiring entity shall create and maintain records documenting hours worked, rate of pay, and, if applicable, the leave time earned and used. If a complaint is filed with the department, the hiring entity shall make the records and the written agreement accessible to the department.

(5) The department or the court shall maintain the confidentiality of all records it obtains in connection with enforcement activities to the full extent permitted by law.

Effective date—2026 c 15: See note following RCW 49.96.010.