Washington OT: 1.5× past 40 hrs/week. Federal FLSA + state floor.
Washington overtime is 1.5× the regular rate for hours over 40 in a fixed workweek — federal FLSA standard. The state has no daily OT rule, no consecutive-hour rule, no spread-of-hours premium. The complexity is in regular-rate calculation: non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials, commissions, and service charges all factor in. Tips do not (because Washington has no tip credit, tipped workers' OT calculates straightforwardly on the cash wage). Misclassification claims through state AG via the L&I path are common and expensive.
Federal Weekly Overtime + Regular Rate
Tracks weekly hours, calculates regular rate including non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials, commissions, and service charges. Pays 1.5× automatically. Service-charge regular-rate inclusion handled.
What those rules do as a workweek crosses 40.
The hero card configuration: Avoid at 36 hours, Critical on close, Flag on past-40 tagging.
When a worker's scheduled hours plus a pending shift would push past 36 weekly hours, the manager sees a yellow indicator. Save proceeds, exposure logged.
On payroll close, any worker whose week exceeded 40 hours surfaces with a Critical indicator and the calculated premium amount.
Hours past 40 in a workweek auto-tag as Weekly OT. Payroll applies 1.5× the regular rate (calculated to include all bonuses, shift differentials, and service charges) automatically.
Deploy weekly OT in your Teambridge.
Tell us about your Washington workforce. We'll spin up federal OT tracking with regular-rate-plus-service-charge calculation alongside 27 other Washington policies in a sandbox tenant.
RCW 49.46.130 + federal FLSA: 1.5× past 40.
Washington adopts the federal weekly-OT framework with state-level enforcement under L&I. The simplicity at the threshold (only weekly OT, no daily) hides complexity in regular-rate calculation.
Workweek is fixed and recurring
A workweek is any fixed, recurring 168-hour period (7 × 24). The employer designates the start day and time but cannot shift it to evade OT. Different workweeks per worker classification are allowed but must remain consistent.
Regular rate includes service charges
The 'regular rate' for OT calculation includes all remuneration except specific statutory exclusions: non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials, commissions, and service charges all factor in. Tips do not factor in (because they're not wages — see no-tip-credit-rule). Service charge inclusion is a Washington-specific operational point that catches multi-state operators by surprise.
Teambridge tracks the workweek, calculates regular rate including service charges.
WA's no-tip-credit rule simplifies tipped-worker OT compared to other states. The complexity that remains is regular-rate calculation with service charges.
36-hour line surfaces.
When scheduling a shift would push a worker past 36 weekly hours, an Avoid indicator appears. Manager can proceed or redistribute.
On full cash wage.
Tipped workers' OT calculates on the cash wage (which equals the applicable minimum since no tip credit). Service charges added if applicable; tips not.
All earnings rolled in.
When OT is owed, the regular rate includes base wages, shift differentials, non-discretionary bonuses, commissions, AND service charges. Tips excluded.
Hours follow the worker.
If a worker has shifts at multiple of your locations, hours aggregate under one workweek total — across Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma if applicable.
Still evaluating? Get a free Washington compliance audit.
Send us your existing Washington scheduling and pay configuration. Our compliance team returns a written audit within 5 business days — every Washington-specific exposure ranked by risk and back-pay liability.