Arzola v. Name Intelligence, Inc.

¶1 — In Washington, under chapter 49.52 RCW, employers that willfully fail to pay employees any part of their wages are liable to the employees for exemplary damages of twice the amount of wages wrongfully *53withheld, as well as attorney fees and costs. We are asked to determine whether consideration owed to employees under stock right cancellation agreements constituted “wages,” as that term is used in chapter 49.52 RCW, and whether the employees are entitled to exemplary damages. Because the payments under the agreements were not for the employees’ services or labor, but were for the…