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Highlights
Impacted Employers:Washington state employers who employ minors.
Effective Date:July 1, 2026.
Summary:The State of Washington has enacted legislation that provides employers greater scheduling flexibility for certain minor workers.
Next Steps:Review policies, practices and training to help comply with the changes.
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The Details
The State of Washington has enacted legislation (House Bill 1121), which provides employers greater scheduling flexibility for certain minor workers. House Bill 1121 is effective July 1, 2026.
Background
Under Washington state law, currently 16 and 17 year-olds who are enrolled in qualifying college programs (excluding career and technical education (CTE) programs) may work the same hours during the school year that they worked during school breaks.
Increased Work Hour Flexibility
Under House Bill 1121, beginning July 1, 2026, 16 or 17 year-olds who are enrolled in an approved CTE program may also work the same number of hours during the school year that they work during school breaks. For example, if a student works 25 hours/week during a school break, they could work 25 hours/week during the school year by attending high school in the morning and participating in work-based learning at an approved site for the rest of the day.
Next Steps
Washington employers should update their youth employment policies and procedures, and train supervisors on the requirements needed for increased student scheduling flexibility.