June 2024 | Issue 50
Nominate employers who recruit, hire and promote workers with disabilities
To spotlight the important role disability plays in workforce diversity, the Washington State Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues & Employment has opened nominations for the 32nd Annual Governor’s Employer Awards.
Nominations are open through July 31, 2024.
The Governor’s Employer Awards program honors and celebrates the many and varied contributions Washington’s employers make to recruit, hire and advance workers with disabilities.
The awards program honors employers of all sizes in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. It also honors one employer who supports youths with disabilities through employment preparation and job skills training.
Phil White, the Employment Security Department's former deputy commissioner, gives his personal invitation to submit a nomination. Watch his video on YouTube.
Find nomination forms and instructions on the Governor’s Committee website. You also can request a nomination packet and get more information from Emily Heike. Contact her by phone at 360-890-3776 or by email GCDEawards@esd.wa.gov. Email is preferred.
The awards ceremony will be in October.
You could receive $100 for your feedback about the Employment Security Department website
We are looking for Employment Security Department (ESD) website visitors to participate in an online study. We want to hear from employers or employer representatives (those who complete reports, pay taxes, etc. on behalf of an employer).
In the past, you said you would be willing to give us feedback as opportunities arise.
Your feedback will help us improve the design of an updated ESD website. You do not need to have any experience with design to participate. If selected for the study, you will receive $100 as a thank-you for your participation.
The study sessions will:
- Take no more than 60 minutes.
- Run remotely on Zoom.
- Take place June 17 to 21, 2024.
If you are interested in taking part in the study, please take this short prequalifying survey.
Completing the survey does not guarantee you will be selected for the study. If you are selected, we will send you a confirmation email with details.
We are excited to hear what you have to say! Thank you for your interest.
Questions? Email research@anthro-tech.com. Anthro-Tech is the company managing this study for ESD.
Paid Leave and WA Cares: An update to our power of attorney process
We've updated the power of attorney process for employers and their agents.
The process is now completely electronic for employers with full access to their accounts. You no longer need to submit a paper power of attorney form if you’re an employer or a third party administrator who manages or will manage services for a client company.
Review our Reporting and Premiums Employer Toolkit on our website (PDF, 439.87 KB) or go to paidleave.wa.gov/employer-agents for more information.
WA Cares: Attend a webinar
WA Cares Basics: What Employers Need to Know
Join us for the latest updates on the state’s long-term care insurance program to learn more about employer responsibilities. Some of the topics we’ll cover:
- Who contributes to the fund.
- Who can get an exemption.
- How workers will meet contribution requirements.
- What kinds of benefits will be available.
American Sign Language interpretation and live captions will be available.
When: Wednesday, July 17, 11 a.m.- noon. Register now!
View past webinars at wacaresfund.wa.gov/webinars.
Paid Leave: New rules for medical certification forms
New legislation about medical certification forms, like the ones used by Paid Family and Medical Leave, went into effect June 6, 2024.
When someone requests certification, the health care provider must now return the document to them within seven calendar days of receiving it. The person applying for leave will then need to fax or upload the document with their application.
Health care providers cannot charge a fee for filling out a form, but they can charge for the appointment.
We updated the Paid Leave website and downloadable medical certification forms to make note of the new legislation. You can read the law on the Washington Legislature website (PDF, 84.9 KB).
Please share this information with your employees!
Public service employers: Help your employees receive public service loan forgiveness
If you are a public service employer, your employees may be eligible for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF) to forgive their student loan debt. On the PSLF website, use the PSLF Employer Search to see if you are a qualifying employer for the program.
PSLF can be an extremely valuable and life-changing benefit for your employees. And it requires no cost and little involvement from you!
The Washington State Office of the Student Loan Advocate and the Office of Financial Management have created resources to help you communicate with your employees. Find letter templates and information on the PSLF webpage. Choose the “Information for Employers” tab underneath the “How do I apply for PSLF?” section.
PSLF webinars
The U.S. Department of Education website reports that 20,680 borrowers in Washington have received over $1.4 billion of student loan forgiveness through the program from October 2021 and May 2024.
Unemployment Insurance: Get “locked services” in EAMS
Does someone file reports or make payments for your business? If so, you need to set up your EAMS account to allow them access. This gives business owners more control over who has access to their business information in EAMS.
Business owners will need to request locked services. Access to locked services allows you and those you designate to:
- Copy data from one quarter to the next.
- Save, view and amend reports.
- Auto-calculate excess wages.
- View payment history.
- Cancel pending payments.
- View account activity.
- Control user accounts.
You do not need access to locked services to file or pay quarterly reports. But you need it to:
If you’re new to EAMS, get started on our website.
Work Opportunity Tax Credit: Save money by hiring certain workers
You can save thousands of dollars in taxes for hiring certain workers. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) can provide you with a federal tax credit between $2,400 and $9,600 per employee, depending on who you hire – even part-time hires.
The WOTC gives you an incentive to hire some categories of:
- Public assistance recipients.
- Military veterans.
- Individuals with a history in the justice system.
- Individuals who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for any month in the 60 days before being hired.
- Workers who have been unemployed long term.
- Individuals who are receiving or have received services under a state vocational rehabilitation program.
To sign up
The Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) processes applications and determines eligibility.
You must have a SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account and a WOTC account. Learn more on our How to apply webpage.
For more information
Learn more about eligibility. If you have questions, send the WOTC staff an email at esdgpwotc@esd.wa.gov or call us at 800-669-9271.
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