Find out which L&I requirements apply to your business.
My Business
Uses independent contractors or casual labor.
Works with low or high voltage wiring, or installs or maintains electrically powered equipment.
Examples:
- Uses custom designed or modified electrically powered equipment
- Installs wiring for computers, audio/visual equipment, alarm systems
- Installs lighted fixtures or signage, solar panels, wired modular office panels
Has an elevator, escalator, moving walk, or other type of conveyance or lifting equipment.
Uses compressed air systems, boilers, or other pressurized tanks or vessels.
I want to know about other requirements that may apply to my business.
My Business Uses Independent Contractors or Casual Labor
Assume anyone you hire to be your employee for workers' compensation insurance purposes unless they meet all requirements in the law, as described in L&I's Independent Contractor Guide (F101-063-000). The 6-part test every worker must pass to be considered an independent contractor is summarized in Independent Contractor or Covered Worker? (F212-250-000) or on the Independent Contractor E-learning Tool.
Safety and health rules apply to independent contractors, even if you're not required to pay workers' compensation premiums, if the contract involves primarily personal labor. See definitions of "employer" and "employee" in the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act, RCW 49.17.020 (4) and (5).
While the laws are different, if your independent contractors can meet the legal test for exemption from workers' compensation requirements, they will generally also be exempt from wage and hour* and prevailing wage** requirements (see *RCW 49.46, **RCW 39.12.100).
My Business Has (or Will Have) Employees
Meet all of your workers' comp insurance requirements:
- Set up a workers' compensation account.
- Provide accurate company information to your account representative for risk classification purposes.
- Need to find your L&I account representative? Go to the Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business application, search for your company name, and scroll down.
- File and pay quarterly reports.
- Classify and track employee activities. Keep good records (F700-009-000).
- Post the "Notice to Employees" poster (F242-191-909) (one of 3 required posters).
Comply with safety and health requirements for your workplace:
- Know the safety and health laws that apply to your workplace.
- Create and implement a written accident prevention program.
- Provide required safety and personal protective equipment at no cost to your employees.
- Provide safety training to your employees.
- Don't discriminate or retaliate against employees who voice safety and health concerns or participate in safety inspections.
- Notify L&I of fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations within 8 hours and non-hospitalized amputations or loss of any eye within 24 hours.
- Post the "Job Safety and Health Law" poster (F416-081-909) (one of 3 required posters).
- Certain industries must pay annual fees to the Worker and Community Right to Know Program.
Follow all "wage and hour" laws:
- Pay employees at least minimum wage and/or overtime as required.
- Ensure overtime exempt employees meet the duties tests and annually updated salary thresholds.
- Provide overtime pay to agricultural and dairy employees as appropriate.
- Provide paid sick leave benefits and regularly notify accrued leave to employees.
- Provide breaks and meal periods as required.
- If you employ workers under 18, get a minor work permit endorsement and comply with work restrictions before hiring.
- If you work in agriculture, comply with all agricultural employment standards.
- Check L&I recordkeeping requirements and keep complete employee records (F700-009-000).
- Comply with the requirements of the Equal Pay & Opportunities Act (EPOA):
- Provide equal pay for equal work and equal advancement opportunity.
- Don't ask job applicants for past salary history.
- Don't prohibit employees from disclosing their salaries to each another.
- Ensure any non-competition agreements are with individuals whose compensation meets the minimum allowable and are otherwise enforceable.
- Take required precautions to prevent sexual harassment and assault of isolated workers.
- Provide leave when required:
- Learn and comply with other laws.
- Post the "Your Rights as a Worker" poster (F700-074-000) (one of 3 required posters).
Know your requirements in the event of a workplace injury:
- Understand your responsibilities for addressing worker injuries and claims.
- Notify L&I of fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations within 8 hours and non-hospitalized amputations or loss of an eye within 24 hours.
- Don't discourage employees from filing claims or discriminate against employees who have filed claims.
My Business Provides Construction, Remodeling or Repair Services, or Related Work Such as Painting/Installing Floor Coverings, or Develops Property, or Fixes Up and Then Sells ("Flips") Homes, or Manages/Consults on Construction or Landscaping Projects
Most activities listed above require contractor registration. If you're not sure if your specific business activity does, email ContReg@Lni.wa.gov or call 1-800-647-0982.
Contractors must:
- Register as a contractor and renew your registration when it's due.
- Comply with advertising laws.
- If you are a specialty contractor, provide only those services in your specialty description, and do not subcontract work, unless it's incidental to the job.
- Only perform work that requires special licensing or certification if you're properly qualified.
- Assume any independent contractor or casual labor you hire to be your employee, unless they meet independent contractor requirements as described in L&I's Independent Contractor Guide (F101-063-000).
- Provide customers notice of your bond and your right to lien their property. See Model Disclosure Statement Notice to Customer (F625-030-000).
- Follow safety standards for construction work, in addition to basic worker safety and health requirements.
- Determine if there's asbestos involved in a project, and if asbestos is present, follow the appropriate rules.
- Understand prime contractor liability: General contractors are liable if their subcontractors fail to pay workers' comp premiums.
- Follow Prevailing Wage regulations if you work on jobs funded — even in part — with public money ("public works projects"), unless only federal funds are involved.
My Business Works With Low or High Voltage Wiring, or Installs or Maintains Electrically Powered Equipment
Examples:
- Uses custom designed or modified electrically powered equipment
- Installs wiring for computers, audio/visual equipment, alarm systems
- Installs lighted fixtures or signage, solar panels, wired modular office panels
If your business works with low or high voltage wiring, or installs or maintains electrically powered equipment:
- Your business must have the proper electrical license to offer installation, repair, or maintenance services involving low or high voltage wiring or electrical and electrically powered equipment.
- Additionally, individuals performing electrical work must be properly certified to provide these services, unless you or your regular employees are working on your own building and the building is not a new property for rent, sale, or lease.
- If you're not licensed to do electrical work for your customers, you can subcontract the work to a licensed electrical contractor, but only if you're a registered general contractor.
- Your electrically powered equipment must be certified by an accredited product testing laboratory or, if it is manufacturing equipment used in a food processing or and industrial plant, approved for use through an engineering evaluation.
- Use only licensed electrical contractors if you're not doing the work yourself.
- Whoever does the work must get a permit for electrical work and have the work inspected.
- If you or your employees have an electrical license or certificate, only perform services that fit within the scope of work of that specific license or certificate.
- In addition to basic worker safety and health requirements, you're required to follow any special electrical rules that may apply.
My Business Works With Plumbing Fixtures and Traps, Potable Water Building Supply and Distribution Pipes, Drainage and Vent Pipes, Medical Gas and Medical Vacuum Systems, or Water Heaters.
- You must be certified by the Washington State Plumber Certification Program to work in the plumbing trade in Washington.
- You must be a licensed plumbing contractor to advertise, offer to do work, submit a bid, or perform any plumbing work.
- To become a certified journey level or specialty plumber, you must typically begin as a plumber trainee. See the categories below for the required experience of each plumber certification level:
My Business Has an Elevator, Escalator, Moving Walk, or Other Type of Conveyance or Lifting Equipment
If your business has conveyance equipment, such as an elevator, escalator, dumbwaiter, belt manlift, automobile parking elevator, moving walk, or other elevating devices, you must have it inspected and permitted.
Follow any machine guarding requirements that apply, in addition to basic worker safety and health requirements.
My Business Uses Compressed Air Systems, Boilers, or Other Pressurized Tanks or Vessels
If your business uses pressurized equipment, you must have each pressurized tank or vessel inspected and permitted. Tanks under 5 cubic feet, or 37.5 gallons, are exempt.
My Business Uses, Builds, or Modifies Mobile Food or Medical Facilities, Modular or Portable Buildings, Trailers, RVs, Manufactured Homes, or Other Similar Structures
If your business uses, builds, repairs, modifies, or remodels factory-assembled structures, you must have each structure permitted and inspected.
Examples:
- Mobile medical facilities
- Modular or portable buildings
- RVs or recreational park trailers
- Food trucks, trailers, or concession vans
- Trailers used as temporary or portable buildings
- Manufactured or mobile homes (including installation)
- Shelters, enclosures, or similar structures containing electrical or mechanical equipment
I Want To Know About Other Requirements That May Apply to My Business
See the Washington Small Business Guide.