Effective immediately, all restaurants in Washington are required to post updated minimum wage posters in their establishments. However, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) is only requiring businesses to download and print out a one page update available free at http://wra.cc/2012minwage.

After downloading the document, L&I requires businesses to post next to the “Your Rights as a Worker” poster issued in 2011. For questions regarding the poster, restaurateurs can call the Washington Restaurant Association directly at (800) 225-7166.

As of January 1, Washington’s minimum wage is now $9.04 per hour, while wages for employees between the ages of 14 and 15 may be paid 85 percent of the hourly minimum ($7.68). Employers must pay workers 16 years old or older at the current rate of $9.04.