Gainey Law, PLLC Seattle Employment Law Attorney

A word from the Unemployment Department of Washington State ALERT:  Our system update is complete and eServices is online. However, both the site and our phone lines are experiencing extremely high volumes. Pages are loading slowly and call wait times are long. Please keep trying or come back and try later. If you are calling to submit your weekly claim, please try back after 5 p.m. Thank you for your patience. We apologize for the inconvenience. For more information visit www.ESD.gov   

While many of us are itching to get back to some semblance of "normal life," the indicators are not there to suggest that will be possible or safe immediately. The curve may be flattening, but without adequate testing for antibodies what does that mean for re-opening businesses? Its hard to say. Here are the statistics we do know to date. Read more about Washington's confirmed cases here. Seattle-King County Public Health’s Jeff Duchin  spoke out this week  about how prepared Washington is to reopen, noting that even with the outbreak waning, it’s not yet time to relax social distancing measures. Read more. Dr. Gordan Cohen joined Seattle's morning news to explain: Reopening the Economy before a vaccine will call for strict sanitation protocols. So, hang in there Washington and we will get through this together. To that end, I found this list of the 80, yes 80, things to do while stuck at home. Read More about things to do while stuck at home bored here.

EEOC addresses back to work issues in recent COVID-19 update. Law360 outlines a few of the issues: One question covered what employers should do about potential harassment and discrimination once their workplaces reopen. The EEOC said that employers can remind its workers that bias won't be tolerated and advise management of its role in stopping and reporting harassment and discrimination. In the new section on returning to work, the EEOC fielded inquiries about screening workers and providing accommodations for personal protective equipment. The agency said the ADA lets employers make inquiries and conduct medical exams if they're necessary for keeping out workers who have a medical condition that poses "a direct threat to health or safety." But the agency also advised that employers should be careful not to "engage in unlawful disparate treatment based on protected characteristics in decisions related to screening and exclusion." Additionally, whil...

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1117118571999452&ref=watch_permalink The ESD system should be updated this Sunday. Get ready. Get your paystub, 1099 form or tax document ready to allow ESD to figure out how much is due to you. https://www.esd.wa.gov/ . BE PREPARED! Get your account set up and your paperwork in order so ESD can get you the benefits you need.

Update: Funds for this program were exhausted as of April 17, 2020. More funds are supposedly on the way. Stay tuned. According to Bank of America's website it seems like the banks that are administrating the loans for the federal government want you to be a customer (prior to Feb 15, 2020) with an existing loan or line of credit. However, so long as you are a business banking customer without a business loan with another bank you can apply through your bank. Read more here .

The Small Business Association is hiring workers to help small biz owners apply for disaster assistance. Work remotely from the safety of your home & make extra money during this difficult time! Bilingual a plus & they’re looking for all ranges of positions from customer service to operations & supervisors. Pay rates is pretty good and help folks desperately in need.More information here: SBA HIRING WORK FROM HOME

Gig Workers and the Self-Employed are Eligible for Unemployment Benefits An important component of the CARES Act significantly expands unemployment insurance benefits for U.S. workers impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. The legislation increases the amount of weekly unemployment assistance workers receive; extends how long they can receive it; and expands eligibility to nontraditional workers such as independent contractors, gig workers and the self-employed. See more at SHRM here .

For Individuals: Unemployment Insurance Cash Payment Relief Paid Sick Leave Paying Rent and Mortgages Student Loans Food and Nutrition Resources Veterans Unemployment Insurance Resources for those  facing unemployment due to COVID-19  from the WA State Employment Security Department click  HERE . Information on how to file for  unemployment insurance . Information on how to file for  workers' compensation .   Visit this  list of resources  from King County to help  navigate different agencies and how to file for unemployment or workers’ compensation. The CARES Act, recently signed into law, expands and enhances unemployment insurance. Specifically, the bill: Creates a new  Pandemic Unemployment Insurance (UI) program  to provide unemployment insurance (UI) to individuals who do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance (such as gig-workers, part-time workers, and the self-employed) Increases weekly ...

From my Sheriff's Office:  Scam Alert! • Economic stimulus checks Typically, this is the time of the year when IRS scam reports are at their peak, and the COVID-19 outbreak has only added another opportunity for scammers. Last week's announcement of upcoming stimulus checks generated a new element that scammers have started to exploit. It's important to know that the IRS has NOT shared details about the upcoming payments, and will do so as they become available. The IRS will NOT call or email you asking for personal or financial information to help process this check. They will use information from your past income tax returns. If you receive such a call, hang up immediately! For updates and details on the status of these payments, visit irs.gov/coronavirus . Take care.