By: Elisabeth Heerema, Unemployment Pool Coordinator

School holidays can be a confusing time for substitute employees in terms of whether or not they are entitled to unemployment benefits.

This leads to many substitutes applying for benefits when they are not eligible, which creates more work for school district staff.

We suggest using a simple formula to eliminate the confusion.

Dates plus distribution equals a successful reasonable assurance letter.

Dates
Details are your friend when it comes to reasonable assurance letters.  Highlight the exact dates of scheduled school breaks during  winter, mid-winter, spring, and summer. This will align your message with RCW 50.44.050, which indicates that substitutes are not eligible for unemployment benefits during the customary vacation or holiday breaks.

Distribution
Provide reasonable assurance letters to all substitutes regardless of when they are hired.  Without reasonable assurance, substitutes are eligible for unemployment benefits compensation during scheduled school breaks.  All schools districts have a plan in place to distribute these letters at the end of the current school year for the upcoming school year.  And that practice has saved school districts countless dollars.  We encourage you to follow the same practice all year for substitute hires.

Grand Tally
We want the grand tally to work in your favor.  With this reasonable assurance equation, your district will get the results you want – money and time saved.