Washington - State Unemployment Insurance

Justworks is required to file unemployment taxes in certain states under our individual clients' Unemployment Account numbers, as opposed to Justworks Unemployment Account numbers.

In order to report, please send Justworks the following:

• From The Department of Revenue:
  • Your Unified Business Number (UBI)
• From The Employment Security Department (Unemployment):
  • Your unemployment account number 
  • Your unemployment rate
• From The Department of Labor and Industries (Worker's Compensation):
  • Your L&I Number
  • Your L&I Rate
  • Your L&I Code
  • Your PAC Code

Please reach out to Justworks support for the following four pre-filled forms, and return to Justworks once completed: 

• Washington ESD PEO Information form
• Washington ESD Power of Attorney form
• Washington L&I Authorization form
• Washington Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) Power of Attorney form

Our company is new in Washington, what do we need to do?

If you're new to doing business in Washington, you can register for a UBI from the State of Washington Business Licensing Service. During the registration, when it asks if you are hiring employees, please select 'yes'. This step is critical to your compliance, as it initiates setup of your Workers’ Comp account with the Washington L&I.

1. 1. Go to https://secure.dor.wa.gov/home/Login.

   2. Click on “sign up” to create a username and password and follow the steps.

   3. You will receive an authentication code by email. Enter this to validate your account.

   4. Please now log in with the username and password you just created.

   5. Click on “Apply for a New Business License”.

   6. Follow the steps in the application process. You will need to provide specific information about your business including address and information about company owners. The whole process should take 10-15 minutes.

Paid Family Medical Leave Registration

The UBI number should be available soon after registration, and once active, a Paid Family Medical Leave account should be set up using the following steps:

1. Log in to your SAW account at secureaccess.wa.gov, select “Add A New Service”
2. Select “I would like to browse a list of services.”
3. Scroll through the list to “Employment Security Department” and select “Paid Family and Medical Leave” from the drop-down menu.
4. When you see the confirmation screen that lets you know the service has been added to your list, click “OK,” then select “Paid Family and Medical Leave” from your list of services to access your account. Click 'Access Now', then 'Continue' onto the next page, and finally click 'Create Your Account' within the Employers section. 
5. Let Justworks know that your PFML account has been successfully set up so we can request access from the state using the POA form you provided.

The L&I number should arrive within a few days after your registration, and the ESD number will be mailed several weeks later. The four forms can then be completed with the addition of those numbers. Justworks cannot file without them.

If you’re having trouble completing the online account setup process, please contact the state’s customer service line for assistance.