Washington Paid Sick Time Policy

What is paid sick time?

Paid sick time was established in Washington State by a 2022 law (ESHB 2076) that gives drivers for transportation network companies (“TNCs”) certain rights and protections. The law goes into effect on January 1, 2023. Paid sick time enables Via driver partners to receive compensation if they cannot perform services using the Via Platform for one or more of the following reasons:

  1. An absence caused by a driver partner’s mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition;
  2. To accommodate the driver partner’s need for medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition, or a driver partner’s need for preventive medical care;
  3. To allow the driver partner to provide care for a family member for the same reasons;
  4. When the driver partner’s place of business has been closed by order of a public official for any health-related reason, or when a driver partner’s child’s school or place of care has been closed for such a reason;
  5. Absences that qualify for leave under the Domestic Violence Leave Act; or
  6. During a deactivation or other status that prevents the driver partner from performing network services on the TNC’s platform, unless the deactivation or status is due to a verified allegation of sexual assault or physical assault perpetrated by the driver partner.

How do driver partners accrue paid sick time?

Driver partners earn 1 hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours of “passenger platform time” worked.

“Passenger platform time” is the period of time when the driver partner transports one or more passengers on a trip. For shared rides, passenger platform time means the period of time commencing when the first passenger enters the vehicle until the time when the last passenger exits the vehicle. All rides arranged on the Via Platform are shared rides.

    How can a driver partner request and use paid sick time?

    Driver partners do not need to provide advance notice to use paid sick time. Drivers can request compensation for accrued paid sick time by filling out the form here.

    Driver partners may use accrued paid sick time in increments of 4 or more hours, up to a maximum of 8 hours per day. Driver partners can request multiple consecutive days of paid sick time.

    How are driver partners compensated for paid sick time?

    For each hour of earned paid sick time used, a driver partner shall be paid their “average hourly compensation.” Average hourly compensation is the driver partner’s compensation during passenger platform time for the 365 days immediately prior to the day that the paid sick time is used, divided by the total hours of passenger platform time worked during that period.

    Driver partners will receive compensation for requested paid sick time in their next weekly earnings report or within 14 days of their request.

      When can a driver partner use accrued paid sick time?

      A driver partner can begin using accrued paid sick time upon recording 90 hours of passenger platform time on the TNC’s driver platform.

      A driver partner can only use accrued paid sick time if they have driven on the Via Platform within 90 days preceding the request to use earned paid sick time.

        Can I be penalized for using paid sick time?

        No. You are entitled to paid sick time by law. Your use of paid sick time will not lead to or result in any action that adversely affects your use of the Via Platform. Via does not retaliate for the lawful use of paid sick time or any other rights provided to you by chapter 49.46 RCW.

        Please note that if you lease or rent a vehicle from a third-party vehicle rental provider to access the Via Platform, that third-party vehicle rental provider may charge late cancellation or no-show fees if you do not cancel your vehicle rental reservation. Please be sure to cancel any vehicle reservations if you are unable to keep with as much advance notice as possible to avoid incurring such fees.

          What if a driver partner does not use all of their accrued paid sick time?

          Driver partners can carry over up to 40 hours of unused earned paid sick time to the next calendar year.

          If a driver partner does not record any passenger platform time on the Via Platform for 365 or more consecutive days, any unused earned paid sick time accrued up to that point with Via is no longer valid or recognized.