Washington PSL: 1 hour per 40 worked. No accrual cap.
Washington's Paid Sick Leave law (Initiative 1433, in effect since January 1, 2018) is one of the most generous in the country. Workers accrue at least 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, with no cap on accrual. At least 40 hours of unused leave must carry over to the next year. Workers can use leave starting on the 91st day of employment. The 2025 amendments expanded use cases (immigration proceedings, additional family-member coverage) and added payout obligations for workers separating under 90 days. Construction workers get full payout regardless of tenure.
State Paid Sick Leave
Accrues 1 hour per 40 worked, surfaces balance on every paystub, enforces 90-day waiting period, runs construction payout at separation, applies 2025 sub-90-day payout rule.
What those rules do as PSL accrues and is used.
The hero card configuration: Flag on monthly balance display, Avoid on retaliation patterns, Critical on construction worker payout.
Every paystub displays the worker's PSL accrual since last notice, usage since last notice, and current available balance — the monthly notice required by RCW 49.46.210.
When a worker uses PSL and within 30 days experiences any of the following, Teambridge surfaces an Avoid indicator: hours cut by 20%+, schedule reassignment to less desirable shifts, written discipline, attendance points (which are flatly illegal under WA PSL).
When a worker tagged as construction industry separates from employment, Teambridge surfaces a Critical indicator with the accrued PSL balance. WA construction workers must be paid out for unused PSL regardless of tenure (RCW 49.46.210, as amended).
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1 hour per 40, no cap, 40-hour carryover, 90-day waiting period.
Washington's PSL is one of the most worker-protective in the country: no accrual cap (workers can bank hundreds of hours over time), broad family definitions, broad use cases including immigration proceedings.
Accrual mechanics
Workers accrue 1 hour of PSL for every 40 hours worked, starting day one. There's no cap on accrual — workers can build large balances over time. Accrual happens for all hours actually worked (excluding paid leave time itself). Frontloading is permitted as an alternative to accrual, but the frontloaded amount must equal or exceed what the worker would have accrued, and 40 hours of carryover is still required at year-end.
Use rules
Workers can begin using accrued PSL on day 91 of employment. They can use it for: their own illness, injury, mental health condition, doctor visits, preventive care; care for a family member (broadly defined to include any individual who depends on the worker for care, plus child/grandchild/grandparent/parent/sibling/spouse); domestic violence/sexual assault/stalking absences; closure of workplace or child's school by public health authority; and (added by 2025 amendments) preparing for or participating in immigration proceedings.
Teambridge runs PSL accrual, balance display, and construction payout automatically.
WA PSL is operationally heavier than other state PSL programs because of the no-cap accrual, the construction industry carve-out, and the 2025 sub-90-day payout expansion. Teambridge handles each variant separately.
Hours worked → PSL.
Every clock-out triggers accrual: hours worked since last clock-out × (1/40) added to PSL balance. No accrual cap; balance accumulates over time.
Display on every paystub.
Each pay period, the wage statement includes PSL accrued (period), used (period), and balance — satisfying the monthly notice requirement automatically.
Block use until day 91.
Before day 91, PSL is accrued but cannot be used. After day 91, full balance is usable. Rehires within 12 months retain pre-leave PSL toward the 90-day clock.
Tag-driven workflow.
Workers tagged as construction industry trigger automatic payout calculation at separation (regardless of tenure). Non-construction workers separating before 90 days also trigger payout under the 2025 expansion.
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