There is strength in numbers. For working people, the thought of going up against your employer in court can be overwhelming. That is why employees often opt instead to join together to protect their rights on the job.
Class actions are a powerful tool for employees who have been shortchanged, ripped off, discriminated against, or subjected to unlawful retaliation. These actions, in which groups of workers pursuing similar claims collectively sue their employers, help level the playing field with massive corporations and other large employers.
At Justice Law Corporation, our Washington employment class action attorneys have a strong track record of success in class action and other cases. We are seasoned litigators who have dedicated our careers to helping people across the state fight to ensure that they are treated fairly on the job.
Employers often rely on a power imbalance with their workers to strong-arm them into not enforcing their rights on the job. When workers do speak up, these companies enlist small armies of lawyers to try to force quick resolutions for pennies on the dollar or no compensation at all.
Class actions are an important way to fight back. Here is what you need to know.
Wage and Hour Class Actions
Washington is home to some of the most robust legal protections for workers, including protections for pay and rest breaks. Workers across the state are increasingly using class actions to bring wage-and-hour cases against their employers.
Minimum Wages and Overtime Pay
Employees in Washington must be paid at least an hourly minimum wage. Many are also entitled to a higher pay rate for overtime work.
The current minimum wage in Washington is $16.66 per hour, more than twice the federal minimum. The pay floor is set to rise to $17.13 per hour in 2026, with additional increases to track inflation in the following years.
Several cities and counties in Washington have also raised the wage floor above the state minimum.
Workers covered by the state’s overtime law must be paid “time and a half,” or 1.5x their standard hourly rates, for all hours worked beyond 40 in a given workweek. An employee who logs 47 hours on the job in a given workweek, for example, will be paid at the normal rate for the first 40 hours at 1.5x for the additional seven hours.
Overtime pay is not limited to workers paid on an hourly basis. Many salaried workers are covered by federal and state overtime requirements.
There is, however, an exemption for certain “white collar” workers. Such employees are not entitled to overtime pay if they are paid a salary above a certain threshold and perform jobs considered “executive, administrative, or professional.”
The salary threshold for 2025 varies by employer size.
- Small (one to 50 employees): $1,332.80 per week ($69,305.60 annually)
- Large (51 or more employees): $1,499.40 per week ($77,968.80 annually)
Only workers who are paid above the salary threshold and primarily perform exempt duties are ineligible for overtime pay.
Workers who have been underpaid due to minimum wage or overtime violations can join together in class actions to recover the money they are owed, along with interest and penalties. They can also seek reimbursement for attorneys’ fees and expenses, as well as injunctions barring their employers from continuing the illegal policies or practices at issue in the case.
Misclassification
Sadly, employers in Washington and across the country try to avoid their legal obligations by classifying large groups of workers as independent contractors, rather than employees. That is because contractors are generally not covered by wage and hour laws and other employment laws.
Challenging your contractor status individually can be daunting. Many workers fear retaliation for blowing the whistle. A class action gives you substantial leverage by forcing an employer to address misclassification policies and practices more broadly.
Pay Transparency
Some employers also make it harder for workers to assert their rights on the job by enforcing strict “pay secrecy” policies. These employers ban workers from discussing pay and other terms, and threaten them with disciplinary action if they do not comply.
The truth, however, is that such policies are illegal in Washington and across the country. Employers who try to enforce pay secrecy policies often do so to mask other legal violations.
Our Washington employment class action attorneys can help workers challenge pay secrecy policies and get the information they need to determine whether they are being shortchanged.
Employment Discrimination Class Actions
Class actions can also be used to combat discrimination on the job when it impacts groups of employees.
Class actions are common in cases alleging that employers’ hiring, promotion, assignments, pay, and other practices are biased against people in certain protected classes. They are also used in situations involving widespread workplace harassment that targets people based on their race, sex, religion, disability, or other protected status.
These class actions can be brought under both federal and state laws that prohibit workplace discrimination and harassment. There are specific procedural steps that must be followed, including first filing a complaint with the Washington State Human Rights Commission or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. There are also some strict deadlines by which those complaints must be filed.
Our Washington Employment Class Action Attorneys Can Help
If you believe that your employer is violating your rights on the job, whether it is by being underpaid or in other terms and conditions, you do not need to go it alone. A Washington employment class action attorney at Justice Law Corporation can help you evaluate your claim and understand your rights and options.
Contact us to schedule a free consultation with a Washington employment class action attorney.
