++INFORMATION FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS WHO ARE EMPLOYEES++
(Independent contractors click here)
(Updated 4-21-20)
LAID OFF? LOST HOURS & INCOME?
If you are a domestic worker employed laid off by an agency or household, or you have lost income due to loss of demand, you should file for unemployment insurance (UI) to help replace some of your lost income for up to 39 weeks.
Apply for UI today at at the WA Economic Security Department.
Once you qualify for unemployment assistance, you will receive UI assistance plus an additional $600 per week through July 31, 2020 as part of the federal stimulus package. Your UI benefits are generally about half of your lost earnings, with a minimum of $188/week and a maximum of $790/week.
To apply for UI, you will need:
Name, addresses, and dates of employment (estimates are OK) for each employer over the last 18 months
Patience & persistence – applications for assistance are at an all time high, it could be a slow process, but don’t give up!
If you have used all 39 weeks of your UI benefits in the past, you can also apply for the new federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). Check out the PUA section on our main resources page for information on PUA.
If you are an undocumented worker, federal rules bar you from receiving unemployment assistance. Join us in calling for our lawmakers to provide emergency income assistance for our immigrant families.
You must always be paid for all hours worked, even if you were laid off before being paid. Contact us if you’ve experienced wage theft: 844-485-1195 or coronavirusinfo@workingwa.org.
STILL WORKING: AM I AN ESSENTIAL WORKER?
Under WA’s Stay Safe, Stay Home order, only nannies hired by essential workers are allowed to continue working until order has been lifted.
If you suspect your household is violating the Stay Safe, Stay Home order by continuing to employ you and you feel unsafe, you can file violations of the order here.
STILL WORKING: FEELING UNSAFE?
Employers are always required to provide a safe workplace, even in an emergency. It is against the law for any employer to take any adverse action, such as firing or threats against you, for exercising safety and health rights, raising concerns about your health, or filing a safety and health complaint.
If you feel like your health is at risk but do not know what to do, contact us. If appropriate, we can help you file a safety complaint with the WA Department of Safety & Health within 30 days of the incident.
STILL WORKING: IN SEATTLE
If you are still working for a household in Seattle of an essential worker – either as an employee or independent contractor – as a nanny, house cleaner, home care worker, gardener, cook, and/or household manager, you have the following rights, even in this time of emergency and/or even if the people hiring you are working from home:
Payment of at least Seattle’s minimum wage
A 30-minute uninterrupted meal break if you work for more than five hours in a shift in the same home
A 10-minute uninterrupted rest break for every four hours of work in the same home
If it isn’t feasible to take a meal or rest break, your employer must provide additional pay for the missed break
If you are a live-in caregiver, you must receive one day of rest after working more than six days in a row
Contact us if your rights are being violated (contact info below).
Sick or caring for sICK FAMILY?
If you are still employed, you should be able to use any accrued paid sick time you have if you or a family member are sick or need to quarantine, if you have a doctor appointment or need to go to the hospital, and/or if you are caring for a child home due to school closures.
If you are sick with Covid-19 or caring for a sick family member and unable to work, you can apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). See the PUA section on our main resources page for more information on PUA.
For undocumented workers or others who are ineligible for PUA, Washington’s Paid Family & Medical Leave program provides partial income replacement for up to 12-16 weeks of leave for people who are seriously ill or caring for seriously ill family members.
Apply for Paid Family & Medical Leave here. There is a waiting period between when you opt in and when you are allowed to make a claim.
Note: there is a 10+ week delay on benefits, so apply as soon as you are eligible.
Other Assistance
The federal bill also authorized Economic Impact Payments for most people – a one-time stimulus payment of up to $1200 from the federal government.
If you filed 2018 or 2019 taxes, you should receive a payment of up to $1200.
If you did not file taxes in 2018 or 2019, you may still be able to get a stimulus payment. Visit this IRS page for more information on the Economic Impact Payment program and how to receive a check if you do not file taxes.
The federal government began sending out stimulus checks on April 10, but has not sent them to all eligible people yet, and many people it did send them to are experiencing delays due to a variety of glitches in the system. Check the status or your stimulus check and learn more about Economic Impact Payments here.
We are calling on our local, state, and federal elected officials to provide cash assistance to workers in this time of crisis. Join the call for emergency cash assistance.
There is currently a temporary moratorium on evictions due to unpaid rent. Landlords are also temporarily prohibited from raising rent or imposing late fees. Most utilities across the state have also stopped shutting off utilities for unpaid bills.
