Do all employers have to pay unemployment insurance in Washington state?

In Washington state, most employers are required to pay unemployment insurance taxes if they meet certain criteria. Generally, if a business has employees who earned at least $1,000 in any calendar quarter, they need to register with Washington ESD and pay UI taxes. There are very few exceptions - mainly some agricultural workers, independent contractors (though this gets complicated), and certain family employment situations.

This happened to me with a previous employer! They weren't paying their UI taxes properly and when I got laid off, my claim got all messed up. Took forever to sort out because Washington ESD had to investigate the employer's tax situation first.

Small employers sometimes think they can avoid UI taxes but Washington state is pretty strict about this. If your employer had any employees and was paying wages, they almost certainly should have been registered. The fact that your work history isn't showing up properly is a red flag that they weren't compliant.

ugh this is so frustrating when employers don't do their basic responsibilities!! i had a similar issue with a restaurant job where they were treating everyone like independent contractors but we were clearly employees. took months to straighten out my UI claim

For your specific situation, I'd recommend gathering all your documentation - pay stubs, W-2s, any employment agreements. When you speak with Washington ESD, they'll need this to establish your wage credits if the employer wasn't properly reporting. The good news is that Washington state has processes to handle these situations.

Just want to add that there are some specific exemptions but they're pretty narrow. Like if you worked for your spouse's business under certain conditions, or some agricultural work, or if you were a true independent contractor. But a regular tech startup with W-2 employees definitely should be paying UI taxes.

If Washington ESD determines that your employer should have been paying UI taxes but wasn't, they can establish what's called 'alternative base period' wage credits. This might delay your claim processing but you should still be able to get benefits based on your actual wages earned.

I work in HR and can confirm that virtually all employers in Washington with employees need to pay UI taxes. The threshold is really low - just $1,000 in wages in any quarter. Even if it's just one part-time employee. A lot of small business owners don't realize this and get themselves in trouble.

I had this exact problem! My startup employer thought they were too small to worry about UI taxes. When I got laid off and tried to file, my claim got stuck in adjudication for weeks while they investigated. I finally got help through Claimyr to talk to someone who could explain what was happening with my claim status.

One thing to watch out for - some employers will claim their workers are exempt when they're not. Like claiming someone is an independent contractor when they're really an employee. Washington ESD has pretty clear tests for this stuff and they investigate when there are questions.

Bottom line - if you worked for a company as a regular employee, got W-2s, and they had payroll, they almost certainly should have been paying UI taxes. Don't let their mistake prevent you from getting the benefits you earned. Push Washington ESD to investigate if necessary.

Also worth mentioning that Washington state has been cracking down on employers who don't properly classify workers or pay their taxes. They've gotten better at cross-referencing data and catching companies that aren't compliant. So your situation might not be as unusual as you think.

If anyone else is dealing with this, definitely keep trying to reach Washington ESD even if it takes multiple attempts. Your benefits shouldn't be held up because your employer didn't do their job properly. There are ways to establish your eligibility even when employers aren't compliant.

Another thing to keep in mind - even if your employer wasn't properly registered or paying UI taxes, Washington ESD can still establish your wage credits based on your actual earnings. You might need to provide extra documentation like bank deposits from paychecks, but they have procedures for these situations. I've seen cases where workers got their full benefits even when the employer was completely non-compliant. The key is being persistent and having all your paperwork ready when you finally get through to someone who can help.