The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, known as L&I, is the state agency that runs workers’ compensation insurance, enforces workplace safety and wage laws, licenses construction contractors and other trades, and administers a handful of related programs for Washington’s roughly 3.3 million workers.1Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. About Labor & Industries If you’ve been hurt on the job, questioned a paycheck, or hired someone to remodel your kitchen, L&I is the agency behind the rules.
Workers’ Compensation
The biggest thing L&I does is run Washington’s workers’ compensation system, called industrial insurance. It operates under Title 51 of the Revised Code of Washington as a no-fault program: if you’re hurt at work or develop a job-related illness, you receive benefits no matter who caused the injury, and in exchange you generally give up the right to sue your employer for negligence.2Washington State Legislature. Washington Revised Code Title 51 – Industrial Insurance Most employers pay premiums into L&I’s State Fund. Larger employers can self-insure by posting security of at least $100,000 and running their own claims and safety programs under L&I oversight.3Washington State Legislature. Washington Code Chapter 51.14 – Self-Insurers
Either way, injured workers pay nothing out of pocket for medical care. The statute entitles you to “proper and necessary medical and surgical services” from the provider of your choice, plus hospital care for the duration of the disability, with no deductibles or copays.4Washington State Legislature. Washington Code Chapter 51.36 – Medical Aid
If you can’t work, temporary total disability payments replace part of your lost wages. The rate runs from 60 percent of pre-injury wages for an unmarried worker with no children up to 75 percent for a married worker with five or more children, and continues until you’re released to return or your condition stabilizes.5Washington State Legislature. Washington Revised Code 51.32.060 – Temporary Total Disability
When an injury causes lasting loss of function, L&I pays a permanent partial disability award based on a statutory schedule that assigns dollar values to specific losses and adjusts each year for inflation.6Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 51.32.080 – Permanent Partial Disability If permanent limitations keep you from your old job, L&I can fund vocational retraining. For workers who are totally and permanently disabled, the agency pays a monthly pension for life.
Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim
Report any workplace injury and file a claim quickly. State Fund workers can file online through L&I’s FileFast system around the clock, or call 1-877-561-FILE (3453) weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also fill out a paper report at your first doctor visit and let the provider submit it.7Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Online Claim Filing
The deadline matters. A claim must be filed within one year of the injury date, or it becomes unenforceable.8Washington State Legislature. Washington Code Chapter 51.28 – Notice And Report Of Accident – Application For Compensation There’s a narrow exception if L&I finds that your employer actively suppressed the claim, but don’t plan around it. File as soon as you can, even for injuries that look minor. Late claims are harder to prove and easier to deny.
Workplace Safety
L&I enforces workplace safety through the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA), codified at RCW Chapter 49.17.9Washington State Legislature. Washington Code Chapter 49.17 – Washington Industrial Safety And Health Act Washington runs its own state plan, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA’s and is reviewed annually.10Occupational Safety and Health Administration. State Plan – Frequently Asked Questions In practice, state rules are often stricter in areas like agriculture and construction.
L&I compliance officers can enter job sites without notice. When they find violations they issue citations and fines calibrated to severity. For 2026, Washington’s gravity-based base penalties for serious violations range from $1,070 to $7,491, with annual inflation adjustments.11Washington State Legislature. 2026 Division of Occupational Safety and Health Base and Gravity-Based Penalty Amounts Willful and repeat violations carry much higher penalties, with the statutory ceiling tracking the federal OSHA maximum.
Reporting Serious Incidents
Employers must report workplace fatalities to L&I within eight hours, and any in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye within 24 hours.12Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Recordkeeping The reporting line is 1-800-423-7233.13Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Contact – L&I
Free Consultation
L&I also offers free consultation visits where safety professionals walk a worksite, point out risks, and help employers build accident prevention programs and safety committees. A consultation visit doesn’t trigger enforcement, so there’s no penalty exposure for asking.
Wages, Breaks, and Sick Leave
L&I enforces Washington’s Minimum Wage Act under RCW 49.46. As of 2026, the state minimum wage is $17.13 an hour and adjusts each January based on the consumer price index.14Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Minimum Wage Washington doesn’t allow tip credits, so tipped workers get the full minimum on top of any gratuities.15Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 49.46.020 – Minimum Wage Non-exempt workers must receive time-and-a-half for any hours beyond 40 in a workweek.
State law requires a meal period of at least 30 minutes no later than five hours into a shift, plus a paid 10-minute rest break for every four hours worked. Rest breaks should fall near the midpoint of each four-hour stretch, and no one can be required to work more than three straight hours without one.16Washington State Legislature. WAC 296-126-092 – Meal and Rest Breaks
Washington’s paid sick leave law requires employers to provide at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, applies to nearly all employers regardless of size, and lets unused leave carry over year to year.17Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 49.46.210 – Paid Sick Leave
Employers who shortchange workers can be forced to pay back wages plus interest and face civil penalties on top. L&I’s Employment Standards division takes these complaints at 1-866-219-7321.13Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Contact – L&I
Retaliation
Workers who file wage complaints, report safety hazards, or cooperate with L&I investigations are protected from retaliation. Deadlines in this area are short and unforgiving. Federal OSHA whistleblower complaints must be filed within 30 to 180 days depending on the statute involved,18Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA Online Whistleblower Complaint Form and state protections may offer additional time or coverage. If you’ve been fired or disciplined for raising a workplace issue, document everything and file quickly.
Contractors, Electricians, and Inspections
L&I registers construction contractors under RCW 18.27 and requires them to carry a surety bond that protects consumers if work goes unfinished or causes damage. The bond is $30,000 for general contractors and $15,000 for specialty contractors.19Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 18.27.040 – Contractor Registration Bond Requirements Doing contractor work without proper registration can bring fines of several thousand dollars a day.
The agency also licenses electricians and plumbers, and it inspects boilers, unfired pressure vessels, and elevators before the public uses them.20Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. About the Boiler Program21Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Elevator Inspections Under chapters 43.22 and 43.22A RCW, L&I is also the regulator for manufactured homes, food trucks, and other factory-assembled structures, checking structural and electrical compliance before units go into service.22Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Factory Assembled Structures Laws and Rules
Crime Victims Compensation
One of L&I’s less visible roles is running the Crime Victims Compensation Program. If you were physically injured or suffered mental health trauma from a crime in Washington, you can apply for benefits covering medical and dental treatment, mental health counseling, prescriptions, partial wage replacement at 60 percent, and funeral expenses. The maximum benefit per claim is $190,000, with medical and mental health treatment capped at $150,000.23Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Who Can File and What is Covered
To qualify, you must have reported the crime to police within one year and filed your L&I application within three years of that police report. Claims can be denied if the injury happened while committing a felony, during incarceration, or as a result of your own provocation. The crime victims line is 1-800-762-3716.13Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Contact – L&I
Apprenticeship
L&I oversees registered apprenticeship in Washington through the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, which approves and registers programs that meet state standards for on-the-job training and classroom instruction.24Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council Employers and organizations that want to create a program submit their training standards to the council for review before enrolling apprentices.
How to Reach L&I
L&I has offices across the state, including Olympia, Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Bellevue, Everett, Vancouver, and Kennewick. The main switchboard is 360-902-5800. Use these direct lines for specific issues:13Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Contact – L&I
- Workers’ compensation claims: 1-800-547-8367
- Workplace safety concerns and fatality reporting: 1-800-423-7233
- Wages and workplace rights: 1-866-219-7321
- Crime victims compensation: 1-800-762-3716
- Fraud reporting: 1-888-811-5974