Salaries paid twice each month — Policies and procedures to assure full payment — Exceptions.
RCW 42.16.010
in effect(1) Except as provided otherwise in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, all state officers and employees shall be paid for services rendered from the first day of the month through the fifteenth day of the month and for services rendered from the sixteenth day of the month through the last calendar day of the month. Paydates for these two pay periods shall be established by the director of financial management through the administrative hearing process and the official paydates shall be established six months prior to the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. Under no circumstance shall the paydate be established more than ten days after the pay period in which the wages are earned except when the designated paydate falls on Sunday, in which case the paydate shall not be later than the following Monday. (2) Except as provided by subsection (3) of this section, payment shall be deemed to have been made by the established paydates if: (a) The salary warrant is available at the geographic work location at which the warrant is normally available to the employee; or (b) the salary has been electronically transferred into the employee's account at the employee's designated financial institution; or (c) the salary warrants are mailed at least two days before the established paydate for those employees engaged in work in remote or varying locations from the geographic location at which the payroll is prepared, provided that the employee has requested payment by mail. The office of financial management shall develop the necessary policies and operating procedures to assure that all remuneration for services rendered including basic salary, shift differential, standby pay, overtime, penalty pay, salary due based on contractual agreements, and special pay provisions, as provided for by law, agency policy or rule, or contract, shall be available to the employee on the designated paydate. Overtime, penalty pay, and special pay provisions may be paid by the next following paydate if the postponement of payment is attributable to: The employee's not making a timely or accurate report of the facts which are the basis for the payment, or the employer's lack of reasonable opportunity to verify the claim. Compensable benefits payable because of separation from state service shall be paid with the earnings for the final period worked unless the employee separating has not provided the agency with the proper notification of intent to terminate. One-half of the employee's basic monthly salary shall be paid in each pay period. Employees paid on an hourly basis or employees who work less than a full pay period shall be paid for actual salary earned. (3)(a) Subsection (2) of this section does not apply to state officers and employees whose appointment to state service begins July 1, 2023, or thereafter. For state officers and employees whose appointment to state service begins July 1, 2023, or thereafter, payment for salaries must be made by electronic funds transfer. Payment will be deemed to have been made by the established paydate if the electronic funds transfer has been executed. (b) For purposes of this subsection (3), electronic funds transfer means the electronic transfer of funds into an account at the officer's or employee's designated financial institution or the funds are loaded onto a payroll card. (4) Subsections (1), (2), and (3) of this section shall not apply in instances where it would conflict with contractual rights or, with the approval of the office of financial management, to short-term, intermittent, noncareer state employees, to student employees of institutions of higher education, and to national or state guard members participating in state active duty. The University of Washington is not subject to the requirements of subsection (3) of this section until July 1, 2025. (5) When a national or state guard member is called to participate in state active duty, the paydate shall be no more than seven days following completion of duty or the end of the pay period, whichever is first. When the seventh day falls on Sunday, the paydate shall not be later than the following Monday. This subsection shall apply only to the pay a national or state guard member receives from the military department for state active duty. (6) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2) of this section, a bargained contract at an institution of higher education may include a provision for paying part-time academic employees on a pay schedule that coincides with all the paydays used for full-time academic employees. (7)(a) Notwithstanding subsections (1), (2), and (6) of this section, an institution of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 may pay its employees for services rendered biweekly, in pay periods consisting of two consecutive seven calendar-day weeks. The paydate for each pay period shall be seven calendar days after the end of the pay period. Under no circumstance may the paydate be established more than seven days after the pay period in which the wages are earned except that when the designated paydate falls on a holiday, the paydate shall not be later than the following Monday. (b) Employees on a biweekly payroll cycle under this subsection (7) who are paid a salary may receive a prorated amount of their annualized salary each pay period. The prorated amount must be proportional to the number of pay periods worked in the calendar year. Employees on a biweekly payroll cycle under this subsection (7) who are paid hourly, or who work less than a full pay period may be paid the actual salary amount earned during the pay period. (c) Each institution that adopts a biweekly pay schedule under this subsection (7) must establish, publish, and notify the director of the office of financial management of the official paydates six months before the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. (8) Notwithstanding subsections (1), (2), and (6) of this section, academic employees at institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 whose employment appointments are less than twelve months may have their salaries prorated in such a way that coincides with the paydays used for full-time employees.
(1) Except as provided otherwise in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, all state officers and employees shall be paid for services rendered from the first day of the month through the fifteenth day of the month and for services rendered from the sixteenth day of the month through the last calendar day of the month. Paydates for these two pay periods shall be established by the director of financial management through the administrative hearing process and the official paydates shall be established six months prior to the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. Under no circumstance shall the paydate be established more than ten days after the pay period in which the wages are earned except when the designated paydate falls on Sunday, in which case the paydate shall not be later than the following Monday.
(2) Except as provided by subsection (3) of this section, payment shall be deemed to have been made by the established paydates if: (a) The salary warrant is available at the geographic work location at which the warrant is normally available to the employee; or (b) the salary has been electronically transferred into the employee's account at the employee's designated financial institution; or (c) the salary warrants are mailed at least two days before the established paydate for those employees engaged in work in remote or varying locations from the geographic location at which the payroll is prepared, provided that the employee has requested payment by mail.
The office of financial management shall develop the necessary policies and operating procedures to assure that all remuneration for services rendered including basic salary, shift differential, standby pay, overtime, penalty pay, salary due based on contractual agreements, and special pay provisions, as provided for by law, agency policy or rule, or contract, shall be available to the employee on the designated paydate. Overtime, penalty pay, and special pay provisions may be paid by the next following paydate if the postponement of payment is attributable to: The employee's not making a timely or accurate report of the facts which are the basis for the payment, or the employer's lack of reasonable opportunity to verify the claim.
Compensable benefits payable because of separation from state service shall be paid with the earnings for the final period worked unless the employee separating has not provided the agency with the proper notification of intent to terminate.
One-half of the employee's basic monthly salary shall be paid in each pay period. Employees paid on an hourly basis or employees who work less than a full pay period shall be paid for actual salary earned.
(3)(a) Subsection (2) of this section does not apply to state officers and employees whose appointment to state service begins July 1, 2023, or thereafter. For state officers and employees whose appointment to state service begins July 1, 2023, or thereafter, payment for salaries must be made by electronic funds transfer. Payment will be deemed to have been made by the established paydate if the electronic funds transfer has been executed.
(b) For purposes of this subsection (3), electronic funds transfer means the electronic transfer of funds into an account at the officer's or employee's designated financial institution or the funds are loaded onto a payroll card.
(4) Subsections (1), (2), and (3) of this section shall not apply in instances where it would conflict with contractual rights or, with the approval of the office of financial management, to short-term, intermittent, noncareer state employees, to student employees of institutions of higher education, and to national or state guard members participating in state active duty. The University of Washington is not subject to the requirements of subsection (3) of this section until July 1, 2025.
(5) When a national or state guard member is called to participate in state active duty, the paydate shall be no more than seven days following completion of duty or the end of the pay period, whichever is first. When the seventh day falls on Sunday, the paydate shall not be later than the following Monday. This subsection shall apply only to the pay a national or state guard member receives from the military department for state active duty.
(6) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2) of this section, a bargained contract at an institution of higher education may include a provision for paying part-time academic employees on a pay schedule that coincides with all the paydays used for full-time academic employees.
(7)(a) Notwithstanding subsections (1), (2), and (6) of this section, an institution of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 may pay its employees for services rendered biweekly, in pay periods consisting of two consecutive seven calendar-day weeks. The paydate for each pay period shall be seven calendar days after the end of the pay period. Under no circumstance may the paydate be established more than seven days after the pay period in which the wages are earned except that when the designated paydate falls on a holiday, the paydate shall not be later than the following Monday.
(b) Employees on a biweekly payroll cycle under this subsection (7) who are paid a salary may receive a prorated amount of their annualized salary each pay period. The prorated amount must be proportional to the number of pay periods worked in the calendar year. Employees on a biweekly payroll cycle under this subsection (7) who are paid hourly, or who work less than a full pay period may be paid the actual salary amount earned during the pay period.
(c) Each institution that adopts a biweekly pay schedule under this subsection (7) must establish, publish, and notify the director of the office of financial management of the official paydates six months before the beginning of each subsequent calendar year.
(8) Notwithstanding subsections (1), (2), and (6) of this section, academic employees at institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 whose employment appointments are less than twelve months may have their salaries prorated in such a way that coincides with the paydays used for full-time employees.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.16&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026