COVID-19 Resources

All information below is from the Washington State Department of L&I. Please visit their website for the most up to date information.

Paid Sick Leave + COVID-19 FAQs

If an employee's place of business is closed by a public official in connection with COVID-19, can the employee use paid sick leave to cover the absence?

Yes, an employee can use accrued paid sick leave if their place of business is shut down by a public official due to a health-related reason.

Employees are entitled to use accrued paid sick leave for any of the authorized purposes listed in RCW 49.46.210(1)(b) and (c). See WAC 296-128-630(1).

If a school or place of care of an employee's child is temporarily closed by a public official because of COVID-19, can the employee use accrued paid sick leave to cover an absence while they stay home to care for their child?

Employees can use accrued paid sick leave if their child's school or place of care is closed for a health-related reason. This is specifically called out in the state paid sick leave law, RCW 49.46.210(1)(b)(iii). See WAC 296-128-600(8).

If an employee's place of business or a child's school or place of care is shut down by a public official in response to COVID-19, can the employer decline a sick leave request and require staff to work from home instead?

No, an employer cannot require an employee to work from home instead of using their accrued paid sick leave. However, employers are encouraged to let staff telework when the nature of their work allows it.

If an employer chooses to temporarily close their place of business to mitigate the risk of exposure to COVID-19, can an employee use paid sick leave to cover the absence?

An employer is not required to allow workers to use paid sick leave if the business decides on its own to temporarily close in response to COVID-19. However, an employer may allow use of paid sick leave in this situation if they choose.

Can employers require workers to leave work if the employer believes an employee has been exposed to COVID-19?

An employer may require workers to leave work if they believe an employee has been exposed to COVID-19. However, employers cannot require employees to use paid sick leave to cover this absence. It's an employee's choice when to use their accrued paid sick leave.

Can an employee who is required to leave work because they may have been exposed to COVID-19 use accrued paid sick leave while absent?

An employee may use accrued paid sick leave if required to leave work under these circumstances. However, the employer cannot force or require the worker to use their accrued paid sick leave to cover the absence.

Can an employee use accrued paid sick leave if they feel ill or are experiencing symptoms that may be COVID-19 related?

Employees can use accrued paid sick leave for any physical illnesses, injuries, or other health conditions. They can also use accrued paid sick leave to care for family members who have physical illnesses, injuries, or other health conditions.

Can an employee use accrued paid sick leave if a doctor recommends that the individual not return to work due to possible COVID-19 exposure or symptoms?

An employee can use accrued paid sick leave for any physical illnesses, injuries, or other health conditions.

Can an employee use accrued paid sick leave if they are seeking medical diagnosis, care, treatment, or preventive medical care for illness or symptoms that may be related to COVID-19?

Employees can use accrued paid sick leave to cover work time missed for medical diagnosis, care, treatment, and preventive medical care.

If an employer provides paid sick leave as part of a paid time off (PTO) program, can the employee use PTO leave in connection with COVID-19?

Yes, if an employee is provided paid sick leave as part of a paid time off (PTO) program, then the employee must be able to use that leave for all of the purposes under RCW 49.46.210(1)(b) and (c). See WAC 296-128-700.

How can employers provide their employees additional paid sick leave or cover lost wages that may result from COVID-19?

Employers who are concerned by the public health implications of COVID-19 have a number of options available to promote the health and well-being of their employees.

• Employers may provide more generous paid sick leave than that required by the paid sick leave laws.

• Employers may allow employees to use paid sick leave for additional purposes beyond the minimum authorized purposes in statute. See RCW 49.46.210(1)(e).

• Employers may temporarily choose to waive verification requirements or relax their existing policy for employees using paid sick leave in connection with COVID-19.

• Employers may develop and implement new policies to frontload paid sick leave to ensure that employees will have enough to cover absences related to COVID-19. L&I has model frontloading policies available online.

• Employers may provide workers with advances on wages, provided that the terms of repayment comply with applicable deduction regulations.

• Employers may establish shared leave policies if they do not have them. They can also relax existing policies to allow workers with leave balances to donate leave to co-workers who do not have sufficient amounts to cover absences due to illness. See WAC 296-128-710.

The below information is from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Please visit their website for the most up to date information.

small business guidance + loan resources

In the recent 2 trillion dollar CARES Act Economic Relief Plan, there is $349 Billion allocated to help small businesses with less than 500 employees.  You can click on the link below to apply for an SBA COVID-19 Disaster Loan, with loan forgiveness for 8 weeks of salaries, rent, utilities and a $10,000 loan advance deposited into your checking account within 3 days of your approved application.   

Below is a summary of some of the programs available to small businesses.

Paycheck Protection Program

The Paycheck Protection Program prioritizes millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $349 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses.

Small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, Veterans organizations, and Tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are self-employed or are independent contractors, are eligible if they also meet program size standards.

Under this program:

o    Eligible recipients may qualify for a loan up to $10 million determined by 8 weeks of prior average payroll plus an additional 25% of that amount.

o    Loan payments will be deferred for six months.

o    If you maintain your workforce, SBA will forgive the portion of the loan proceeds that are used to cover the first 8 weeks of payroll and certain other expenses following loan origination.

Click here to learn more.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Loan Advance

To apply for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan, click here.

In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, small business owners in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories are eligible to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance of up to $10,000.

The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. The loan advance will provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. Funds will be made available within three days of a successful application, and this loan advance will not have to be repaid.