|
 February 10th, 2022
|
|
Governor’s Office
Mask Mandate Changes
Governor Jay Inslee held a press conference on February 9th to talk about the state’s ongoing efforts to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, including changes to some of the requirements. Some key points are:
- The National Guard will end its deployment to hospitals Feb 17th,
- Hospitals can resume non-urgent procedures Feb 18th, and
- We will end the outdoor mask requirement at large events Feb 18.
Indoor masking requirements are being evaluated daily and there could be changes coming as soon as next week.
To get all the details, view the press conference on TVW.
|
|
Department of Health
Updated general public COVID-19 guidance
These general public guidance documents have been updated and align with the isolation and quarantine updates from the CDC:
|
|
Employment Security Department
Disaster Unemployment Assistance
The federal government issued a disaster declaration for flooding this past November in northwest Washington. Now, the state Employment Security Department is offering Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) to workers who lost hours or employment as a direct result.
DUA benefits are paid by the federal government, so they won’t affect an employer’s taxes or benefit charging.
Also, employers can request a relief of benefit charges if:
- They have former employees who received or are receiving regular unemployment benefits, and
- These employees are or were unemployed due to the disaster.
Find out more at esd.wa.gov/dua.
Updates to WA Cares law
On Jan. 27, Gov. Inslee signed a bill that delays parts of WA Cares implementation by 18 months. Most immediately, premium collection for WA Cares won’t begin until July 2023. The Employment Security Department (ESD) won’t accept any WA Cares premium payments for the first quarter of 2022.
Find newly updated information and guidance on the WA Cares website. Future updates will be announced via ESD’s employer newsletter. Sign up to get the newsletter.
|
|
Department of Labor & Industries
Employer Guide to Workers’ Rights webinar
March 9, 10 AM. Includes wage and pay requirements, overtime and tips, paid sick leave, youth employment, recordkeeping, employee protections from retaliation and discrimination, and more. Register: Workshops and Training Center (wa.gov). More information: EAPRules@lni.wa.gov.
Schedule an Early Return to Work consultation
Did you know that a work injury can cost your business $10,000 or more? The Early Return to Work Consultation (ERTWC) team can help you prepare for the unexpected and even get you some money back in the process.
This program has money available to fund projects that either develop and implement effective return-to-work programs, or projects that seek to reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in the workplace.
|
|
Governor's Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance
WA Small Business Guide
Are you considering starting a business? Do you want to expand your business? Have questions about paying taxes? There's one place you can go to get the answers to many of your business regulation questions - it's Washington's Small Business Guide.
|
|
Subscriber Questions
Can businesses get free test kits for their employees?
There are no state programs to distribute free test kits directly to businesses; however, employees that are residents in the state of Washington are eligible to receive five (5) free test kits directly from the state.
- They can order test kits from https://sayyescovidhometest.org; the kits are typically delivered within a few days.
- Free test kits can also be ordered from the federal test kit ordering portal at https://www.covidtests.gov.
- Individuals can also procure up to 3 free N95 masks at a number of pharmacies and local community organizations, such as health centers and libraries, across the state. Participating partners include: Kroger Co. (including Fred Meyer and QFC), Albertsons Companies, Inc (including Safeway), Costco Wholesale Corp, CVS Pharmacy, Inc, Rite Aid Corp., Walgreens and Walmart.
Your local emergency department may have information about local sources and programs: https://access.wa.gov/topics/emergency/resources/Contact/List.html
Where can I find an explanation of unemployment tax collection?
The Employment Security Department has published the "Employer Tax Handbook" that provides information on:
- How to set up & manage your account,
- Who must pay unemployment taxes,
- Determining your tax rate, and
- more...
Do you have a business or regulatory questions?
You can contact the ORIA Information Center Monday through Friday during business hours by phone (1-800-917-0043) or on LiveChat at http://business.wa.gov. You can also text us your question (1-800-917-0043) or email us your question (help@business.wa.gov) at anytime.
|
|
Trainings, Tips, and Reminders
Labor & Industries Trainings
Learn requirements and resources for workers’ compensation insurance, workplace safety & health, wage and hour laws, contractor registration, and more. Smallbusiness@lni.wa.gov .
50 Grants, Loans & Programs to Benefit Your Small Business
When you know where to look, help is available. For business financing opportunities, check out this article provided by the US Chamber of Commerce.
Get ready for taxes: IRS – Resources & Tools
Find information needed to file 2021 taxes, including important special steps related to Economic Impact Payments and advance Child Tax Credit Payments.
Bookmark this link for use before, during, and after filing.
IGNITE: Accelerating Entrepreneurship & Building Capacity for Strong Communities
WEDA 2022 Winter Conference & Legislative Reception is March 2-3, 2022, in Olympia. For more information and to register, click here.
Funding opportunity for licensed childcare providers coming in March
In early March, Commerce's Early Learning Facilities (ELF) program will open a new funding round for eligible childcare providers. Grants are for minor renovations to existing buildings used by childcare providers licensed or certified by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) on or before January 1, 2020.
Save the Date! Informational webinar coming February 28. Register here.
Complete program guidelines will be available on the Commerce website.
To Unsubscribe
To opt-out of receiving future issues of this Newsletter, click the “Manage Subscriptions” link at the bottom of this Newsletter.
|
|
Newsletter Team
A collective of 7 agencies work together to manage this Newsletter. These agencies are:
Our mission is to
- Preserve the connection to businesses that has been established as a resource for future emergencies.
- Make it easier for businesses to access the state services they need.
Our intent is to provide a newsletter that caters to businesses by providing multi-agency content related to doing businesses in WA. For the duration of COVID-19 pandemic there will be a special focus on the impacts the pandemic has on businesses. This Newsletter is not intended to replace agency newsletters, instead it will aggregate cross-agency business related information.
This Newsletter is published by the Governor's Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA). Content contributors are limited to state agencies we do not accept content from other sources.
|
|
How are we doing?
Please let us know how we did with this issue of the Newsletter. We appreciate your feedback.
|
|
|
|
|
