Gov. Jay Inslee has issued an emergency proclamation to immediately expand state policies to support workers and businesses financially impacted by the COVID–19 virus outbreak.

New Employment Security Department rules:

• Allow workers to receive unemployment benefits and employers to get relief from benefit charges if a company needs to shut down or temporarily curtail operations because of an infected employee who makes quarantining necessary.
• A worker who must be isolated or quarantined and is not receiving paid sick leave may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits.
• A worker who falls seriously ill and must quit work may qualify for Paid Family Medical Leave while ill under the existing program. Once recovered and available for work, they may apply for unemployment benefits.
• Remove the full-time requirement and expand standby ability to part-time workers who are isolated.

The new rules also apply leniency for workers impacted by isolation or quarantine as a result of COVID–19.

The new rules:

• Allow current employment claimants in isolation or quarantine more leniency about unemployment insurance deadlines and mandatory appointments.
• Waive financial penalties for employers who filed their tax reports late, pay their taxes late or do not respond to information requests in a timely fashion as a result of COVID–19.

Read more or contact Rick Demerice, Employment Security Department, at 360-902-9289 or [email protected].

Also check out our special COVID-19 resource guide here for additional information.