++INFORMATION FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS WHO ARE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS++
(Employees click here)
(Updated 8/4/20)
LAID OFF? LOST HOURS & INCOME?
As an independent contractor, you will likely be eligible for new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – new unemployment benefit created through federal stimulus bills designed for workers who cannot access traditional unemployment. Read on to learn more, and then visit the ESD website to apply.
PUA BENEFIT ELIGIBILITY, CALCULATION, & DURATION
Your PUA benefit will be retroactive to the date you lost work or had hours reduced. (PUA is available from February through 12/31/2020.)
You can get PUA for up to 39 weeks.
Your benefit amount will be calculated based on your income during 2019.
The minimum amount will be $235/week and the maximum will be $790/week — but in addition to that, you will receive an extra $600/week for the period from March 29 to July 31 (also paid retroactively). AUGUST UPDATE: The US Senate failed to pass an extension of the additional $600/week, despite the continued impact of the pandemic on workers.
That means your initial benefit should be in the range of $835 - $1390/week.
Federal rules bar undocumented immigrants from receiving any unemployment assistance. The combined public health and economic crises of this pandemic are hitting immigrant communities and communities of color harder than everyone else in Washington, and our emergency response programs are failing them. Join us in calling for cash assistance for ALL people in WA, regardless of immigration status.
HOW TO APPLY FOR PUA
Once the system is set up, you will need to apply at ESD’s website. Make sure to read the instructions for self-employed workers here.
Being rejected for regular unemployment is a prerequisite of being accepted for PUA.
That means you will need to first file a claim for regular unemployment & get rejected, and then you will get access to the application for PUA.
When you apply for regular unemployment, you should fill out the form according to the guide for self-employed workers. When the system asks whether you worked for a WA employer, you should select “no.” The application gives you the option to search for missing employers, but you should not search for clubs to enter as your employers — doing so may hold up your application.
If you have already applied to unemployment and been denied, that does NOT mean you won’t be eligible for PUA. You should log into your account and see if you have the option to apply to PUA.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO APPLY FOR PUA/EXPANDED UNEMPLOYMENT
A rejection on file in your account from your application for regular unemployment.
Proof of income over the past 18 months — ESD has said they will accept 1099s or tax filings, but they may be able to accept other forms of documentation too. We will push to make sure the system is as accessible as possible for workers who may not have tax documents or pay stubs. Note: ESD says that once your application is accepted, they will start giving you the minimum benefit ($835/week) right away, even if they haven’t gone through the process of verifying your income yet.
Your employers for the last 18 months & their addresses.
The dates you worked for all employers in the past 18 months (best estimates OK).
Persistence — this is a brand-new system and there may be issues that come up with accessing it. Do not give up if your application is rejected. You should qualify for unemployment & we can work together to make sure the system works for everyone.
ONCE YOU HAVE APPLIED:
Please fill out this form to report what happened with your unemployment claim. (If you’ve already applied for regular unemployment, even if you haven’t applied for PUA yet, you can fill it out now.) This will help us understand gaps in the system & how to navigate it, so we can provide the best info to dancers & advocate for any needed changes to make the system accessible.
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 your rights are being violated (contact info below).
SICK OR CARING FOR SICK FAMILY?
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 info above and on our main resources page.
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.
To access paid family & medical leave benefits, independent contracts must first opt in. 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.
