Who is responsible for paying unemployment benefits in Washington?

Oh that makes sense! So they've been paying into it all along, not just when I got laid off. Thanks for clarifying.

Wait, do we as employees pay anything into unemployment insurance? I thought I saw SUTA deductions on my old paystubs.

Good to know! I must have been looking at a different deduction on my paystub then.

This is why some employers fight unemployment claims so hard - it can affect their future tax rates with Washington ESD.

Interesting, never heard of that service. Did it actually work for you?

Yeah, got through to someone at Washington ESD within like 20 minutes instead of calling for days. Worth it when you need answers about your benefits.

Washington ESD administers the program but the funding comes from employer premiums. The state might chip in federal funds for extended benefits during recessions, but regular UI is employer-funded.

Makes sense when you think about it - employers benefit from being able to lay people off when business is slow, so they should pay for the safety net.

Oh wow, I didn't realize that's why employers sometimes fight claims. My former boss seemed really concerned when I filed.

Exactly. It's not personal (usually), it's about money. Companies have a financial incentive to contest claims even if the employee was legitimately laid off.

Right, and during COVID there were those federal programs like PUA and PEUC, but those are gone now. Back to just regular state UI.

Good riddance to those pandemic programs honestly, they were so confusing and created so many overpayment issues.

Your weekly benefit amount is calculated based on your highest-earning quarter from the past year. Washington ESD has specific formulas they use to determine this.

If you need to speak to someone at Washington ESD about your benefit calculation, I'd recommend using Claimyr. I used it last month when I had questions about my claim and it saved me hours of calling.

That's not exactly how it works. If you quit voluntarily, you generally won't qualify for benefits, so there's no charge to your employer's account. But if you quit for good cause, you might still qualify.

Be careful about quitting vs being laid off. Washington ESD will investigate and if they find you were pressured to quit instead of being properly laid off, that's still chargeable to the employer.

They pay more in total dollars because they have more employees, but the rate per employee depends on their experience rating - how many claims they've had historically.

Seasonal businesses often have higher rates because they regularly lay people off during slow seasons.

In theory yes, but some employers still try to game the system by fighting legitimate claims or misclassifying employees as contractors.

That's why Washington ESD has investigators and an appeals process. They try to keep employers honest.

Most people don't know how it works until they need it. The important thing is that the money is there when you need benefits.

Agreed. I was just grateful to get approved for benefits after my layoff. Understanding the funding helped me realize why my employer contested it though.

Most nonprofits do pay unemployment insurance taxes like regular employers. There are some exceptions for very small religious organizations, but most nonprofits participate in the system.

Some nonprofits can choose to reimburse Washington ESD directly for benefits paid instead of paying ongoing premiums, but you'd still be eligible for benefits either way.

Good question! Washington ESD has reserve funds for situations like this. The company's account gets charged until it's exhausted, then the costs get spread across all employers through the system.

This is another reason why the unemployment insurance system is pooled - it protects against situations where individual employers can't pay.

Definitely worth trying claimyr.com for overpayment questions. Those are complicated issues that really need to be discussed with an actual Washington ESD representative.

Overpayments can often be appealed if there was an error in the original determination. Make sure you understand why they say you were overpaid before agreeing to pay anything back.

Exactly! You earned those benefits through your work history. It's insurance that was paid on your behalf.

Don't feel bad about collecting unemployment when you're eligible. That's exactly what the system was designed for.