Washington employers must provide employees with leave for military duty in accordance with these state rules.
In Washington, employees in permanent positions, who voluntarily or upon order from a competent authority, vacate a position for service in the uniformed services, are eligible for military leave.
An employee returning from military leave must be reemployed unless the circumstances have so changed as to make it impossible or unreasonable to do so. However, the person must still be able to perform the duties of the former position.
Reinstatement must be to the former position or position of like seniority, status and pay. If not qualified to perform the duties of the former position, the employee must be reemployed in another position providing the same seniority, status and pay as the former position.
Employers must reinstate employees with seniority and cannot discharge them without cause for one year after reinstatement.
During periods of military conflict, employees are entitled to up to 15 days of unpaid leave before their spouse or registered domestic partner is deployed or while their spouse is on leave from deployment.