(Updated 8/4/20)
RESTAURANT CLOSED OR LAID OFF?
If your restaurant closed, you were laid off, or you had your hours reduced due to loss of business, you should file for unemployment insurance (UI) to help replace some of your lost income.
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. AUGUST UPDATE: The US Senate failed to pass an extension of the additional $600/week, despite the continued impact of the pandemic on workers.
Your UI benefits are generally about half of your lost earnings, with a minimum of $188/week and a maximum of $790/week. You can receive up to 39 weeks of UI assistance.
Note about tips and earnings: Your UI benefits will be calculated based on your employer’s reporting of your earnings to the state, so any unreported tips (often cash tips) will not be counted and could lead to a lower benefit.
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 the business is closed or you were laid off before being paid. Your employer is not legally required to pay you out for accrued sick days, but you should ask for them to be included on your final paycheck anyways – some employers are paying out for them. Contact us if you’ve experienced wage theft: 844-485-1195 or coronavirusinfo@workingwa.org.
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.
STILL WORKING AND 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.
Essential businesses, like grocery stores and restaurants, must ensure social distancing for their workers and customers, frequent and adequate hand-washing, and that sick workers stay home.
If you witness businesses violating these safety precautions and/or feel like your or a worker’s health is threatened due to suspected violations, you can file a safety complaint with the WA Department of Safety & Health within 30 days of the incident.
Report a non-essential business violating of the Governor’s Stay Home, Stay Safe Proclamation.
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.
