Washington Pay Transparency Law

Posted By PayNW February 08, 2023

Starting January 1st, 2023, employers will need to begin maintaining compliance with Washington's new pay transparency law. Here is what Washington businesses need to know.

Washington Pay Transparency Requirements

Starting in 2023, businesses will need to begin complying with new requirements regarding Washington Pay Transparency (Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5761). The new law comes in part of the state's effort to further equal pay amongst employees.

Covered Employers

The new requirements for Washington Pay Transparency apply to employers with 15 or more employees.

New Job Posting Requirements

Under the new law, covered Washington employers must provide the following things in a job description/listing:

A wage or salary range
A general description of all benefits
A general description of other compensation

The wage scale or salary range must include the most reasonable and genuinely expected compensation range for the position. This range should include the lowest and highest possible compensation possible and must be established by the employer prior to advertising the job.

Examples of Improper Wage / Salary Ranges

Examples of improper posting compliance include:

Having a range with no maximum compensation. An example would be "compensation starting at $50,000"
Having a range with no minimum compensation. An example would be "compensation up to $70,000"

General Description of Benefits Requirements

In order to have a compliant description of all benefits, a job description must include:

Health care benefits
Retirement benefits
PTO benefits
Other fringe benefits that must be reported for federal tax purposes

General Description of Other Compensation

Other types of compensation that must be included in a job description are:

Bonuses
Commissions
Profit-Sharing
Stock Options
Other forms of compensation that would be offered to the hired applicant in addition to their established pay