State rules
What is a WWL? What counts towards the WWL?
Work Week Limit (WWL) is the total number of service hours a caregiver may provide in a work week. The standard WWL is 40 hours. The following service hours count toward WWL:
What is WA Cares Fund? Who's eligible? Who should they contact?
WA Long Term Care Insurance is a contributory state program that will help WA workers pay for long-term care.
The WA Cares Fund is a state benefit for all WA State workers.
Contact ESD tax line
Can a provider have a WWL over 40 hours?
IPs with a grandfathered WWL are allowed to work over 40 hours per week.
IPs who were 'grandfathered in' to work between 41 - 65 hours per week never lose their grandfathered status (even if they have a break in service or come back to work as an IP for a different client).
What is WA Paid Family Medical Leave? Who's eligible? Who should they contact?
- WA Paid Family and Medical Leave program is a mandatory statewide insurance program, administered by the Employment Security Department (ESD)
WA Paid FML is a PAID benefit both Agency Providers and Individual Providers may be eligible for, depending on their income.
Contact ESD.
When a provider calls in seeking tax help how should we advise them?
The MRC does not provide any tax advice!
IP- CDWA's payroll is responsible for withholding taxes for IPs employed by them. Redirect IPs to contact CDWA.
AP- redirect them to their agency's HR department.
IRS customer service (800-829-1040) or tax professional.
Who are APS and CPS? Why would our members be calling us about this?
Adult Protective Services (APS) is a state agency that receives and investigate reports of vulnerable adults living in the community and in facilities.
Child Protective Services (CPS) is a state agency that investigates reports of child abuse and neglect.
Sometimes caregivers are on the receiving end of an APS or CPS report. Because of the nature of the job, Case Managers, family members, visiting nurses, and other professinals in client's care team may report a caregiver because they have grounds for suspisions of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
What is client responsibility (Co-Pay)? Who determines the amount if any?
Some clients have a Client Responsibility Co-Pay, which is the amount a client is responsible to pay towards their care.
Client responsibility amount is assigned by a DSHS Financial Specialist during the client's financial assessment. If someone believes the client cannot afford the co-pay, the client or their authorized representative must contact DSHS to request a review of their finances.
What is the Shared benefits rule? How did the union affect this rule?
"Shared benefit " means a client and their paid caregiver both share in the benefit of a task being performed; or two or more clients in a multi-client household benefit from the same task being performed.
Because of Union's advocacy over the last couple of years, the stories shared by providers, and IPs signing our petition, the State filed a permanent rule to eliminate shared benefits to restore hundreds of thousands of hours per month to clients and their caregivers.
What is the HADit program?
Low-wage workers, especially women, immigrants, and people of color are particularly vulnerable to harassment, abuse, and discrimination in the workplace. For caregivers, the isolated and often intimate nature of our work can put us even more at risk. In 2020 our Union championed the Harassment, Abuse, and Discrimination (HADit) law for all caregivers.
What is CHARACTER, COMPETENCY & SUITABILITY - CC&S? Why would an IP be required to complete the additional step?
Employers use the CC&S process to determine if caregivers can have unsupervised access to minors or vulnerable adults.
The CC&S process can be initiated because of background results or a reported concern about the provider's ability to provide services for a client. The employer can determine whether a provider is not eligible for employment or not able to work with a specific client based on CC&S review.