
Quoting
rottbach
My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: Washington.
Earlier this year the company (small business with 10 employees in King county) I work for changed all employees from exempt to hourly, prior to reducing employee work hours due to COVID-19. They also said during pay periods in which employees were scheduled for less than 40 hours, PTO would not be accrued. I had two pay periods of reduced hours, then worked two pay periods at regular hours and then another at reduced hours. I noticed recently, that my PTO hours were incorrect. I questioned the owner and she said that PTO stopped being accrued on 4/10/20 and would be reinstated on 7/3/20.
I plan to question the discrepancy between what was initially communicated and what is now being communicated. Assuming the owner is going to stick to what is now being communicated, I have the following questions:
1. Can an employer in WA state stop PTO accrual for hourly employees in general?
2. Can an employer in WA state stop PTO accrual for hourly employees when they work less than 40 hours per week?
Note: I earn 4.62 hours of PTO per pay period.