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Under WA state employment laws is employer required to pay employee earned vacation

Asked over 3 years ago - Seattle, WA

Our employee is going to China for two months (Aug & Sep) - leaving August 2nd. He has reimbursed and prepaid his own dental and medical ( amount the Company normally pays for the two months he is gone). He is requesting his vacation pay he has earned to date on our normal Payroll day of August 1st before he leaves. The boss does not want to pay the vacation pay until the next pay period rolls around August 16th.

Legally is the company required to pay him his earned amount of vacation before he leaves or must the employee wait until the 16th to be paid. By then he has accrued more vacation time also.

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Attorney answers (1)

George F Cicotte

Reputation Level 8

Answered over 3 years ago. Employee Benefits Lawyer in Kennewick, WA.

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An employee certainly has no right to accelerate a scheduled payroll date. As I understand your question, the employee wishes to receive on August 1 vacation pay that would be received in the normal course on August 16. The employee has no such right, and the employer is under no obligation to pay any amount on any payroll period other than the normal amount due. If the employee is concerned about the logistics of obtaining access to the funds to be received in the August 16 payroll, perhaps the employer could offer to deposit the check to his bank account. Again, no obligation to do so, but the employer may wish to do so as a gesture of good will.

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