(Updated 4.7.2020)

Resources for employers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Latest News

•  NEW  Manufacturers needed: If you are are a company willing to shift gears and re-purpose manufacturing operations to help with the COVID-19 crisis, fill out this form and email covidmanufacturing@commerce.wa.gov to provide details on what you can offer.
•  NEW  CARES Act - This legislation includes the Paycheck Protection Program loan, an Employee Retention Tax Credit and other help for business. Start with this easy-to-read overview, then go to the "Legislation of Note" section below for more summaries, guides, applications and FAQs.
•  NEW  This helpful video from Employment Security Department explains the latest changes to unemployment benefits.
• UPDATED: Washington State Coronavirus Response (COVID-19) page for business and workers

Financial Resources

Loans

•  NEW  UPDATED: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) up to $2 million (flyer). An advance up to $10k is available within 3 days and will not have to be repaid. There is an interest rate of 3.75% for small businesses. Nonprofits are eligible for a 2.75% interest rate. See this EIDL guide for further information and get answers to your questions on the SBA Disaster Loan FAQ page. Finally, apply here.
•  NEW  The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)is a federally guaranteed forgivable loan program that was just passed as part of the CARES Act. Go to the "Legislation of Note" section below for details!
•  NEW  SBA Express Bridge Loans enable small businesses who already have a relationship with an SBA lender to access up to $25k quickly.
• Kiva provides 0% interest loans up to $15k with a 6 month grace period allowed for greater flexibility. See details and apply here.
• Business Impact NW provides loans to small business and nonprofits. They are more flexible than traditional financial institutions.
• Craft3 offers business lending services between $25k to $3 million to new clients and is extending revised terms to existing clients.
• City of Tacoma: COVID-19 Business Loan up to $15k with payments deferred for the first 12 months if your business is located within Tacoma city limits.

Grants

• Department of Commerce has awarded $1.8 million to 17 rural county governments. The Community Development Block Grants can be used for small business support, food and rental assistance, health services and more. Click here for more information.
• Delta Dental pledges $10M to help dentists shut down by COVID-19 with two new programs -- the Reimbursement Advance Program and the Practice Assistance Fund. Read more and apply here.
• GoFundMe Small Business Relief fund - matching micro-grants up to $500. See details here and click here for FAQs.
•  NEW  Good Farmer Fund is granting relief funds to small farms. Apply here.
• Amazon has created a $5 million Neighborhood Small Business Relief Fund to help small companies located within a few blocks of its Seattle headquarters. Click here to learn more and apply for the Amazon neighborhood small business relief fund.
• Social Justice COVID-19 Crisis Fund - Click here if you are a previous grantee of a Social Justice Fund. If not a previous grantee, consider applying for their ongoing Rapid Response Fund.

Insurance:

• Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) urged all insurers to extend coverage to delivery driver's auto policies in order to ensure delivery of prescriptions, food and groceries.
•  NEW  OIC Emergency Order regarding Dental Plan grace period
• If employers have bought the right endorsements, insurance policies may cover cancelled events or businesses losses. Contact the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner at 1.800.562.6900 or go to www.insurance.wa.gov for more information.

• The Employment Security Department has new emergency rules in place. For example, workers who are ill with COVID-19 can qualify for benefits. Also, workers that are exposed and quarantined while the business remains open can now qualify for unemployment insurance. This ESD Unemployment chart can help determine which benefit applies to your situation. This FAQ page for workers and businesses answers questions and gives resources to help relieve the burden of temporary layoffs.
  • Paid sick and safe leave (and FAQs about how it applies to COVID-19)
  • Unemployment insurance
  • Paid Family Medical Leave (and FAQs about how it applies to COVID-19)
  • Workers' Compensation FAQs and link to apply

Small Business Guidance

• Federal:
  • U.S. Small Business Administration guidance and loan resources
  • U.S. Small Business Administration export working capital program. For exporters, the SBA's Export Working Capital Program can help small businesses gain access to capital.
  • U. S. Chamber Small Business Resources for Surviving Coronavirus
• Washington:
  • Washington state small business resiliency guide
  • Washington small business guidance

Non-Profit Resources

• Washington Nonprofits
• Innovia Foundation COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Funds

Telecommuting Resources

• Virtual meetings and events - consider using one of these free services: Zoom, GoToMeeting, Join.Me, Skype, or other virtual web conferencing apps
• Xfinity - Internet Essentials will increase speeds from 15/2 Mbps to 25/3 Mbps for all customers. This speed increase will happen automatically - no action is required by customers. In addition, new customers will receive two months of free service. Click here for more details.
• Jamm - a voice and video collaboration and communication for teams working remotely is offering it free of charge. This service integrates well with Slack.
• Google - Hangouts Meet, which allows up to 250 participants and live streaming up to 100,000 viewers per domain, and G-suite is available to all customers free of charge until July 1, 2020.
• Loom - This video recording and sharing service offers boosts to free service plan, discounted prices on LoomPro and free access for educational institutions through July 1, 2020.
• Microsoft 365 E1 - free 6 month trial
• LinkedIn - 16 courses offered for free - “Remote working - setting yourself and your teams up for success”
• DropBox - offering free Dropbox Business and HelloSign Enterprise subscriptions for 3 months to nonprofits and NGOs focused on fighting COVID-19. If you are an organization working to stop the virus or provide relief, apply here.
• LogisticsManagement - Librestream Onsight platform remote expert app free. This allows remote work to maintain the benefit of in-person meetings (content markup, shared visual/audio, and more).

Layoffs

Guidance

• Layoff assistance for Workers and Businesses

Temporary layoffs

• Apply for SharedWork, a smart alternative to layoffs
• Temporary layoffs: Standby for up to 8 weeks, partial employment status or furlough

Permanent layoffs

• Educate employees to contact WorkSource
• Job search or retraining through Dislocated Worker program
• File a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice (WARN)

Hiring Immediately

• Guidance from Zippia: How the American worker can survive financially during the next 3 months -- helpful guidance article that includes job links for both remote and local work
•  NEW  Washington's Employment Security Department is hiring additional staff in claims center operations. Click here for more information.
•  NEW  WorkSource has a list of critical job opportunities, especially in the grocery store, cleaning, healthcare and governmental industries. For searchable Washington job opportunities in your area, go to WorkSourceWA.com.
  
  • WorkSource Seattle/King County - Immediate employment opportunities
  • WorkSource Spokane - Immediate employment opportunities
• Southwest Washington area list of job opportunities
  
• 7-Eleven - Apply here. Hiring up to 20,000 new employees immediately.
• Albertsons (Safeway, Randalls, United Supermarkets) - Apply here. Hiring 30,000 positions: delivery drivers, personal shoppers, distribution centers, and call center
• Amazon - Apply here. Hiring 100,000 immediately.
• CVS - Apply here. 50,000 positions to be hired immediately.
• Dollar General - Apply here. They are adding up to 50,000 employees by the end of April.
• Dollar Tree - Apply here. 25,000 full and part-time workers to be hired for stores and distribution centers.
• Domino’s - Apply here. Hiring 10,000 immediately.
• GE Healthcare - Apply here. Needs manufacturing employees to build medical equipment.
• Instacart - 300,000 to be hired immediately
• Kroger (Fred Meyer) - Apply here. Hiring 20,000 workers immediately.
• Lowe's - Apply here or text "JOBS" to LOWES (56937) to apply. Actively hiring 30,000. Enhanced safety measures in store and increased hourly pay.
• Microsoft - Hiring, but prepare yourself for virtual interviews.
• Outschoool - Apply here. Hiring 5,000 teachers with pay up to $40/hr. to teach online classes.
• PepsiCo - Apply here. Immediately hiring 6,000 full time front line employees.
• Papa John’s  - Apply here. Hiring 20,000 immediately.
• Pizza Hut - Apply here. Immediately hiring more than 30,000. New drivers can start working in as little as 5 hours after hire.
• Shipt - (competitor to Instacart) Apply here. Hiring thousands immediately.
• Walmart - 150,000 to be hired immediately

Toolkits, Checklists, and more Resources

Federal

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Resources
  • Graphics toolkit
  • Resources, Response and Impact
  • Workplace Tips for Employees
  • Coronavirus Response Toolkit
• National Association of Manufacturing’s COVID-19 Resources

State

• Washington state's official coronavirus response page
• Governor Inslee’s office resource links and links specifically for businesses
• Governor Inslee’s News Releases
• Washington Department of Commerce Small Business Crisis Planner
• Washington Small Business Development Center's Small Business Resiliency Guide
• Employment Security Department's COVID-19 Newsroom and employer information page
• Washington State Department of Health's Novel Coronavirus Outbreak page
• Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission's coronavirus response
• Veteran affairs coronavirus update page

County

• Pierce County Covid-19 Resources

Schools

Federal: National School closure map

• State: WA school guidance and resources

Other Resources

• Pierce County Health Department here
• Seattle Mayor signs emergency order to temporarily halt evictions for small business and nonprofits
• Utilities' COVID-19 responses
  • Puget Sound Energy
  • Avista Utilities