Unless the context indicates otherwise, words used in this title shall have the meaning given in this chapter.

For the purposes of this title, "accredited school" means a school or course of instruction which is:

(1) Approved by the state superintendent of public instruction, the state board of education, the *state board for community college education, or the state division of vocational education of the **coordinating council for occupational education; or

(2) Regulated or licensed as to course content by any agency of the state or under any occupational licensing act of the state, or recognized by the apprenticeship council under an agreement registered with the apprenticeship council pursuant to chapter 49.04 RCW.

Reviser's note: *(1) The state board for community college education was renamed the state board for community and technical colleges by 1991 c 238 s 30.

**(2) The coordinating council for occupational education was abolished by 1975 1st ex.s. c 174 s 9.

Effective date—1975 1st ex.s. c 224: See note following RCW 51.04.110.

(1) "Acting in the course of employment" means the worker acting at his or her employer's direction or in the furtherance of his or her employer's business which shall include time spent going to and from work on the jobsite, as defined in RCW 51.32.015 and 51.36.040, insofar as such time is immediate to the actual time that the worker is engaged in the work process in areas controlled by his or her employer, except parking area. It is not necessary that at the time an injury is sustained by a worker he or she is doing the work on which his or her compensation is based or that the event is within the time limits on which industrial insurance or medical aid premiums or assessments are paid.

(2) "Acting in the course of employment" does not include:

(a) Time spent going to or coming from the employer's place of business in an alternative commute mode, notwithstanding that the employer (i) paid directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, the cost of a fare, pass, or other expense associated with the alternative commute mode; (ii) promoted and encouraged employee use of one or more alternative commute modes; or (iii) otherwise participated in the provision of the alternative commute mode.

(b) An employee's participation in social activities, recreational or athletic activities, events, or competitions, and parties or picnics, whether or not the employer pays some or all of the costs thereof, unless: (i) The participation is during the employee's working hours, not including paid leave; (ii) the employee was paid monetary compensation by the employer to participate; or (iii) the employee was ordered or directed by the employer to participate or reasonably believed the employee was ordered or directed to participate.

(3) "Alternative commute mode" means (a) a carpool or vanpool arrangement whereby a group of at least two but not more than fifteen persons including passengers and driver, is transported between their places of abode or termini near those places, and their places of employment or educational or other institutions, where the driver is also on the way to or from his or her place of employment or educational or other institution; (b) a bus, ferry, or other public transportation service; or (c) a nonmotorized means of commuting such as bicycling or walking.

Severability—1979 c 111: See note following RCW 46.74.010.

"Agriculture" means the business of growing or producing any agricultural or horticultural produce or crop, including the raising of any animal, bird, or insect, or the milk, eggs, wool, fur, meat, honey, or other substances obtained therefrom.

Effective dates—Severability—1971 ex.s. c 289: See RCW 51.98.060 and 51.98.070.

Wherever and whenever in any of the provisions of this title relating to any payments by an employer or worker the words "amount" and/or "amounts," "payment" and/or "payments," "premium" and/or "premiums," "contribution" and/or "contributions," and "assessment" and/or "assessments" appear said words shall be construed to mean taxes, which are the money payments by an employer or worker which are required by this title to be made to the state treasury for the accident fund, the medical aid fund, the supplemental pension fund, or any other fund created by this title.

For purposes of this title, the average monthly wage in the state shall be the average annual wage as determined under RCW 50.04.355 as now or hereafter amended divided by twelve.

Severability—Effective date—1977 ex.s. c 323: See notes following RCW 51.04.040.

Effective dates—Severability—1971 ex.s. c 289: See RCW 51.98.060 and 51.98.070.

"Beneficiary" means a husband, wife, child, or dependent of a worker in whom shall vest a right to receive payment under this title: PROVIDED, That a husband or wife of an injured worker, living separate and apart in a state of abandonment, regardless of the party responsible therefor, for more than one year at the time of the injury or subsequently, shall not be a beneficiary. A spouse who has lived separate and apart from the other spouse for the period of two years and who has not, during that time, received, or attempted by process of law to collect, funds for maintenance, shall be deemed living in a state of abandonment.

Severability—1973 1st ex.s. c 154: See note following RCW 2.12.030.

"Child" means every natural born child, posthumous child, stepchild, child legally adopted prior to the injury, child born after the injury where conception occurred prior to the injury, and dependent child in the legal custody and control of the worker, all while under the age of eighteen years, or under the age of twenty-three years while permanently enrolled at a full time course in an accredited school, and over the age of eighteen years if the child is a dependent as a result of a disability.

Severability—Effective date—1977 ex.s. c 323: See notes following RCW 51.04.040.

Purpose—Intent—Severability—1977 ex.s. c 80: See notes following RCW 4.16.190.

"Department" means department of labor and industries.

Department of labor and industries: Chapter 43.22 RCW.

"Dependent" means any of the following named relatives of a worker whose death results from any injury and who leaves surviving no widow, widower, or child, viz: Father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, stepfather, stepmother, grandson, granddaughter, brother, sister, half-sister, half-brother, niece, nephew, who at the time of the accident are actually and necessarily dependent in whole or in part for their support upon the earnings of the worker.

"Director" means the director of labor and industries.

(1) "Employer" means any person, body of persons, corporate or otherwise, and the legal representatives of a deceased employer, all while engaged in this state in any work covered by the provisions of this title, by way of trade or business, or who contracts with one or more workers, the essence of which is the personal labor of such worker or workers. Or as an exception to the definition of employer, persons or entities are not employers when they contract or agree to remunerate the services performed by an individual who meets the tests set forth in RCW 51.08.195 (1) through (6) or the separate tests set forth in RCW 51.08.181 for work performed that requires registration under chapter 18.27 RCW or licensing under chapter 18.106 or 19.28 RCW.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, and for purposes of this title only, a transportation network company, as defined in RCW 49.46.300, shall have the same rights and obligations of an "employer" under this title with respect to a driver, as defined in RCW 49.46.300, only while the driver is engaged in passenger platform time and dispatch platform time.

Effective dates—2022 c 281 ss 8-13, 17, and 28: See note following RCW 51.12.020.

Conflict with federal requirements—2008 c 102: "If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements which are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state or the eligibility of employers in this state for federal unemployment tax credits, the conflicting part of this act is hereby declared to be inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict, and such finding or determination may not affect the operation of the remainder of this act. The rules under this act shall meet federal requirements which are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state or the granting of federal unemployment tax credits to employers in this state." [ 2008 c 102 s 6.]

Severability—2008 c 102: "If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [ 2008 c 102 s 7.]

Effective date—Conflict with federal requirements—1991 c 246: See notes following RCW 51.08.195.

Effective dates—Severability—1971 ex.s. c 289: See RCW 51.98.060 and 51.98.070.

"Health services provider" or "provider" means any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association, agency, institution, or other legal entity providing any kind of services related to the treatment of an industrially injured worker.

"Injury" means a sudden and tangible happening, of a traumatic nature, producing an immediate or prompt result, and occurring from without, and such physical conditions as result therefrom.

"Invalid" means one who is physically or mentally incapacitated from earning.

"New medical issue" means a medical issue not covered by a previous medical examination requested by the department or the self-insurer such as an issue regarding medical causation, medical treatment, work restrictions, or evaluating permanent partial disability.

Effective date—2020 c 213 ss 1-3: "Sections 1 through 3 of this act take effect January 1, 2021." [ 2020 c 213 s 6.]

"Occupational disease" means such disease or infection as arises naturally and proximately out of employment under the mandatory or elective adoption provisions of this title.

(1) Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the department shall adopt a rule pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW that claims based on mental conditions or mental disabilities caused by stress do not fall within the definition of occupational disease in RCW 51.08.140.

(2)(a) Except as provided in (b) and (c) of this subsection, the rule adopted under subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to occupational disease claims resulting from posttraumatic stress disorders of firefighters as defined in RCW 41.26.030(17) (a), (b), (c), and (h) and firefighters, including supervisors, employed on a full-time, fully compensated basis as a firefighter of a private sector employer's fire department that includes over fifty such firefighters, and law enforcement officers as defined in RCW 41.26.030(19) (b), (c), and (e), and public safety telecommunicators who receive calls for assistance and dispatch emergency services.

(b) For firefighters as defined in RCW 41.26.030(17) (a), (b), (c), and (h) and firefighters, including supervisors, employed on a full-time, fully compensated basis as a firefighter of a private sector employer's fire department that includes over fifty such firefighters, and law enforcement officers as defined in RCW 41.26.030(19) (b), (c), and (e) hired after June 7, 2018, and public safety telecommunicators hired after June 11, 2020, (a) of this subsection only applies if the firefighter or law enforcement officer or public safety telecommunicators, as a condition of employment, has submitted to a psychological examination administered by a psychiatrist licensed in the state of Washington under chapter 18.71 RCW or a psychologist licensed in the state of Washington under chapter 18.83 RCW that ruled out the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder from preemployment exposures. If the employer does not provide the psychological examination, (a) of this subsection applies.

(c) Posttraumatic stress disorder for purposes of subsections (2) and (3) of this section is not considered an occupational disease if the disorder is directly attributed to disciplinary action, work evaluation, job transfer, layoff, demotion, termination, or similar action taken in good faith by an employer.

(d) "Public safety telecommunicators" means individuals who receive and respond to telephone or other electronic requests for emergency assistance, such as law enforcement, fire, and medical services, and dispatch appropriate emergency responders.

(3)(a) Except as provided in this subsection, the rule adopted under subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to occupational disease claims resulting from posttraumatic stress disorders of direct care registered nurses as defined in RCW 51.32.395.

(b) The limitation in subsection (2)(c) of this section also applies to this subsection (3).

(c) This subsection (3) applies only to a direct care registered nurse who has posttraumatic stress disorder that develops or manifests itself after the individual has been employed on a fully compensated basis as a direct care registered nurse in Washington state for at least 90 consecutive days.

Effective date—2023 c 370: See note following RCW 51.32.395.

"Permanent partial disability" means the loss of either one foot, one leg, one hand, one arm, one eye, one or more fingers, one or more toes, any dislocation where ligaments were severed where repair is not complete, or any other injury known in surgery to be permanent partial disability.

"Permanent total disability" means loss of both legs, or arms, or one leg and one arm, total loss of eyesight, paralysis or other condition permanently incapacitating the worker from performing any work at any gainful occupation.

"Posttraumatic stress disorder" means a disorder that meets the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress specified by the American psychiatric association in the diagnostic and statistics manual of mental disorders, fifth edition, or in a later edition as adopted by the department in rule.

"Self-insurer" means an employer or group of employers which has been authorized under this title to carry its own liability to its employees covered by this title.

Effective date—Severability—1971 ex.s. c 289: See RCW 51.98.060 and 51.98.070.

"State fund" means those funds held by the state or any agency thereof for the purposes of this title. The "state of Washington industrial insurance fund" means the department when acting as the agency to insure the industrial insurance obligation of employers. The terms "state fund" and "state of Washington industrial insurance fund" shall be deemed synonymous when applied to the functions of the department connected with the insuring of employers who secure the payment of industrial insurance benefits through the state. The director shall manage the state fund and the state of Washington industrial insurance fund and shall have such powers as are necessary to carry out its functions and may reinsure any risk insured by the state fund.

Severability—Effective date—1977 ex.s. c 323: See notes following RCW 51.04.040.

Effective dates—Severability—1971 ex.s. c 289: See RCW 51.98.060 and 51.98.070.

"Successor" means any person to whom a taxpayer quitting, selling out, exchanging, or disposing of a business sells or otherwise conveys, directly or indirectly, in bulk and not in the ordinary course of the taxpayer's business, a major part of the property, whether real or personal, tangible or intangible, of the taxpayer.

Adoption of rules—2004 c 243: "The department shall adopt rules to implement this act." [ 2004 c 243 s 10.]

(1) For the purposes of this title, the monthly wages the worker was receiving from all employment at the time of injury shall be the basis upon which compensation is computed unless otherwise provided specifically in the statute concerned. In cases where the worker's wages are not fixed by the month, they shall be determined by multiplying the daily wage the worker was receiving at the time of the injury:

(a) By five, if the worker was normally employed one day a week;

(b) By nine, if the worker was normally employed two days a week;

(c) By thirteen, if the worker was normally employed three days a week;

(d) By eighteen, if the worker was normally employed four days a week;

(e) By twenty-two, if the worker was normally employed five days a week;

(f) By twenty-six, if the worker was normally employed six days a week;

(g) By thirty, if the worker was normally employed seven days a week.

The term "wages" shall include the reasonable value of board, housing, fuel, or other consideration of like nature received from the employer as part of the contract of hire, but shall not include overtime pay except in cases under subsection (2) of this section. As consideration of like nature to board, housing, and fuel, wages shall also include the employer's payment or contributions, or appropriate portions thereof, for health care benefits unless the employer continues ongoing and current payment or contributions for these benefits at the same level as provided at the time of injury. However, tips shall also be considered wages only to the extent such tips are reported to the employer for federal income tax purposes. The daily wage shall be the hourly wage multiplied by the number of hours the worker is normally employed. The number of hours the worker is normally employed shall be determined by the department in a fair and reasonable manner, which may include averaging the number of hours worked per day.

(2) In cases where (a) the worker's employment is exclusively seasonal in nature or (b) the worker's current employment or his or her relation to his or her employment is essentially part-time or intermittent, the monthly wage shall be determined by dividing by twelve the total wages earned, including overtime, from all employment in any twelve successive calendar months preceding the injury which fairly represent the claimant's employment pattern.

(3) If, within the twelve months immediately preceding the injury, the worker has received from the employer at the time of injury a bonus as part of the contract of hire, the average monthly value of such bonus shall be included in determining the worker's monthly wages.

(4) In cases where a wage has not been fixed or cannot be reasonably and fairly determined, the monthly wage shall be computed on the basis of the usual wage paid other employees engaged in like or similar occupations where the wages are fixed.

(5)(a) In the case of any person described in RCW 49.46.010(3)(k), the monthly wage shall be computed on the basis of the usual wage paid other employees engaged in like or similar occupations where the wages are fixed.

(b) For purposes of this subsection (5), "other employees" does not include any person described in RCW 49.46.010(3)(k).

Report to the legislature—2022 c 53: "By December 1, 2024, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the department of labor and industries must submit a report to the legislature that details the number of claims which were impacted by this act from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024." [ 2022 c 53 s 2.]

Application—2007 c 297 s 1: "Section 1 of this act applies to all wage determinations issued on or after July 22, 2007." [ 2007 c 297 s 2.]

Severability—Effective date—1977 ex.s. c 323: See notes following RCW 51.04.040.

Effective dates—Severability—1971 ex.s. c 289: See RCW 51.98.060 and 51.98.070.

(1) "Worker" means every person in this state who is engaged in the employment of an employer under this title, whether by way of manual labor or otherwise in the course of his or her employment; also every person in this state who is engaged in the employment of or who is working under an independent contract, the essence of which is his or her personal labor for an employer under this title, whether by way of manual labor or otherwise, in the course of his or her employment, or as an exception to the definition of worker, a person is not a worker if he or she meets the tests set forth in RCW 51.08.195 (1) through (6) or the separate tests set forth in RCW 51.08.181 for work performed that requires registration under chapter 18.27 RCW or licensing under chapter 18.106 or 19.28 RCW: PROVIDED, That a person is not a worker for the purpose of this title, with respect to his or her activities attendant to operating a truck which he or she owns, and which is leased to a common or contract carrier.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, and for purposes of this title only, a driver, as defined in RCW 49.46.300, shall have the same rights and obligations of a "worker" under this title with respect to a transportation network company, as defined in RCW 49.46.300, only while the driver is engaged in passenger platform time and dispatch platform time.

Effective dates—2022 c 281 ss 8-13, 17, and 28: See note following RCW 51.12.020.

Conflict with federal requirements—Severability—2008 c 102: See notes following RCW 51.08.070.

Effective date—Conflict with federal requirements—1991 c 246: See notes following RCW 51.08.195.

For the purposes of this title, any individual performing services that require registration under chapter 18.27 RCW or licensing under chapter 18.106 or 19.28 RCW for remuneration under an independent contract is not a worker when:

(1) The individual has been, and will continue to be, free from control or direction over the performance of the service, both under the contract of service and in fact;

(2) The service is either outside the usual course of business for which the service is performed, or the service is performed outside all of the places of business of the enterprise for which the service is performed, or the individual is responsible, both under the contract and in fact, for the costs of the principal place of business from which the service is performed;

(3) The individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession, or business, of the same nature as that involved in the contract of service, or the individual has a principal place of business for the business the individual is conducting that is eligible for a business deduction for federal income tax purposes other than that furnished by the employer for which the business has contracted to furnish services;

(4) On the effective date of the contract of service, the individual is responsible for filing at the next applicable filing period, both under the contract of service and in fact, a schedule of expenses with the internal revenue service for the type of business the individual is conducting;

(5) On the effective date of the contract of service, or within a reasonable period after the effective date of the contract, the individual has an active and valid certificate of registration with the department of revenue, and an active and valid account with any other state agencies as required by the particular case, for the business the individual is conducting for the payment of all state taxes normally paid by employers and businesses and has registered for and received a unified business identifier number from the state of Washington;

(6) On the effective date of the contract of service, the individual is maintaining a separate set of books or records that reflect all items of income and expenses of the business which the individual is conducting; and

(7) On the effective date of the contract of service, the individual has a valid contractor registration pursuant to chapter 18.27 RCW, a plumbing contractor license pursuant to chapter 18.106 RCW, or an electrical contractor license pursuant to chapter 19.28 RCW.

Conflict with federal requirements—Severability—2008 c 102: See notes following RCW 51.08.070.

"Employee" shall have the same meaning as "worker" when the context would so indicate, and shall include all officers of the state, state agencies, counties, municipal corporations, or other public corporations, or political subdivisions.

As an exception to the definition of "employer" under RCW 51.08.070 and the definition of "worker" under RCW 51.08.180, services performed by an individual for remuneration shall not constitute employment subject to this title if it is shown that:

(1) The individual has been and will continue to be free from control or direction over the performance of the service, both under the contract of service and in fact; and

(2) The service is either outside the usual course of business for which the service is performed, or the service is performed outside all of the places of business of the enterprise for which the service is performed, or the individual is responsible, both under the contract and in fact, for the costs of the principal place of business from which the service is performed; and

(3) The individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession, or business, of the same nature as that involved in the contract of service, or the individual has a principal place of business for the business the individual is conducting that is eligible for a business deduction for federal income tax purposes; and

(4) On the effective date of the contract of service, the individual is responsible for filing at the next applicable filing period, both under the contract of service and in fact, a schedule of expenses with the internal revenue service for the type of business the individual is conducting; and

(5) On the effective date of the contract of service, or within a reasonable period after the effective date of the contract, the individual has established an account with the department of revenue, and other state agencies as required by the particular case, for the business the individual is conducting for the payment of all state taxes normally paid by employers and businesses and has registered for and received a unified business identifier number from the state of Washington; and

(6) On the effective date of the contract of service, the individual is maintaining a separate set of books or records that reflect all items of income and expenses of the business which the individual is conducting.

Conflict with federal requirements—Severability—2008 c 102: See notes following RCW 51.08.070.

Effective date—1991 c 246: "This act shall take effect January 1, 1992." [ 1991 c 246 s 10.]

Conflict with federal requirements—1991 c 246: "If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements which are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state or the eligibility of employers in this state for federal unemployment tax credits, the conflicting part of this act is hereby declared to be inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict, and such finding or determination shall not affect the operation of the remainder of this act. The rules under this act shall meet federal requirements which are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state or the granting of federal unemployment tax credits to employers in this state." [ 1991 c 246 s 9.]

"Attending provider" means a person who is a member of the health care provider network established under RCW 51.36.010, is treating injured workers within the person's scope of practice, and is licensed under Title 18 RCW in one of the following professions: Physicians, chapter 18.71 RCW; osteopathy, chapter 18.57 RCW; chiropractic, chapter 18.25 RCW; naturopathy, chapter 18.36A RCW; podiatric medicine and surgery, chapter 18.22 RCW; dentistry, chapter 18.32 RCW; optometry, chapter 18.53 RCW; in the case of claims solely for mental health conditions, psychology, chapter 18.83 RCW; physician assistants, chapter 18.71A RCW; and licensed *advanced registered nurse practitioners, chapter 18.79 RCW.

*Reviser's note: The term "advanced registered nurse practitioner" was changed to "advanced practice registered nurse" by 2024 c 239 s 1, effective June 30, 2027.

Effective date—Retroactive application—2023 c 171: See note following RCW 51.04.050.

For the purposes of this title, the terms spouse, marriage, marital, husband, wife, widow, widower, next of kin, and family shall be interpreted as applying equally to state registered domestic partnerships or individuals in state registered domestic partnerships as well as to marital relationships and married persons, and references to dissolution of marriage shall apply equally to state registered domestic partnerships that have been terminated, dissolved, or invalidated, to the extent that such interpretation does not conflict with federal law. Where necessary to implement chapter 521, Laws of 2009, gender-specific terms such as husband and wife used in any statute, rule, or other law shall be construed to be gender neutral, and applicable to individuals in state registered domestic partnerships.