How do I know if my employer pays unemployment insurance - Washington ESD eligibility question

I looked at my paystubs again and I don't see any SUTA line. Does that mean they're not paying it?

Not necessarily - in Washington, employers pay the unemployment tax, not employees. So it wouldn't show as a deduction on your paystub. The employer pays it separately to Washington ESD.

What counts as qualifying wages? I've been making about $2,800 per month for the past 8 months.

You need wages in at least two quarters and meet the minimum wage requirements. With 8 months at that pay level, you should easily qualify. The exact calculation is based on your highest quarter earnings.

That's exactly what I'm worried about! How did you find out they weren't paying it correctly?

When I filed my unemployment claim, it showed no wages on record for that employer. Had to provide all kinds of documentation to prove I worked there. Was a nightmare.

If you need to reach Washington ESD agents about verifying employer coverage, I had success using Claimyr.com - they have a system that gets you through to actual people instead of waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

It's landscaping work but I get a W-2, so I should be an employee, right? We do mostly residential yard work and some commercial properties.

If you're getting a W-2, you're definitely classified as an employee. Landscaping companies with employees are required to carry unemployment insurance. The W-2 is the key indicator.

I mentioned things are tense at work already. I don't want to make it worse by asking questions that might make them think I'm planning to leave or file for unemployment.

Smart thinking. Never tip your hand to an employer if you think layoffs might be coming.

Good idea! I'll check my SSA account. If wages are showing up there, does that mean the unemployment insurance should be covered too?

Not necessarily - they're separate systems, but if an employer is cutting corners on one, they might be cutting corners on both. It's at least a good way to verify they're reporting your wages correctly.

What kind of documentation should I be keeping? I have all my paystubs but not much else.

Keep copies of your timecards if you fill them out, any work orders or schedules they give you, photos of job sites you worked on with dates if possible. Basically anything that proves when and where you worked.

This is solid advice. If there are ever wage reporting issues, having your own records makes the process much smoother with Washington ESD.

Is there a way for me to find out what their account number is or if they even have one?

Employees don't typically have access to the employer's unemployment account information. That's confidential business information. Your best bet is still to check with Washington ESD about your own wage records.

Never heard of Claimyr before. Is it legit or just another scam?

It's legitimate - they basically automate the calling process so you don't have to sit on hold. I used it when I had issues with my claim status and it actually worked. Check out their demo video to see how it works.

That makes me feel better. I was getting paranoid that something was wrong because I can't see the unemployment tax anywhere on my paystubs.

You won't see it on your paystub in Washington because it's an employer-paid tax, not an employee deduction. That's normal.

How long did that process take? I'm hoping to avoid any delays if I do end up having to file.

took like 6 weeks to get everything sorted out. was stressful because i needed the money right away

Perfect! That sounds like exactly what I need. Do I need to have filed for unemployment to access that information?

No, you can check your wage records anytime through your SAW account. It's under the unemployment services section. This will show you definitively whether your employer has been reporting your wages to Washington ESD.

This is the best answer in the thread. Why didn't anyone mention this sooner? Much easier than trying to call Washington ESD.

So even if my employer hasn't been paying unemployment insurance, I could still potentially get benefits?

Yes, but the employer would owe back taxes and penalties to Washington ESD. You'd still be eligible for benefits based on your wages, but there might be delays while they sort out the employer's account.

Glad it's not just me! Are you planning to check your wage records through the SAW account too?

Definitely going to do that this week. Better to know now than find out there's a problem later when I actually need to file.

That's reassuring. I think I was overthinking this because I couldn't see any deductions on my paystub.

Totally understandable to be concerned. It's smart to verify this stuff before you need it rather than finding out there's a problem when you're already unemployed.

How much does it cost? Is it expensive?

I don't remember the exact cost but it wasn't outrageous. Check their website for current pricing. For me it was worth it just to avoid the frustration of calling Washington ESD directly.

Great news! Now you know you're covered if anything happens with your job. It's always smart to verify this stuff ahead of time.

Awesome! Glad you got it figured out. That SAW account check is such a useful tool that more people should know about.

Wait, that was me posting the update - I think there might be some confusion with the profile numbers. But yes, I did check and everything looks good with my wage records!

That's such a relief! I was getting really worried about this same issue with my own job. Going to check my SAW account this weekend to make sure everything looks good on my end too. Thanks for sharing the update!