Just wanted to share some encouragement for everyone in this thread! I'm a graduate student who successfully received UI benefits last year after losing my research assistant position. The process definitely felt overwhelming at first, but it's absolutely doable. A few things that helped me: 1) I applied online late at night when the system was less busy, 2) I was completely transparent about being a student from day one, and 3) I emphasized my willingness to work around my class schedule. The weekly job search requirement actually helped me stay motivated to find new employment. For those worried about the financial aid impact - yes, UI counts as income on FAFSA, but for me it was the difference between staying in school or dropping out, so it was worth it. The financial aid office was understanding when I explained the circumstances during my aid review. Don't let fear of the unknown keep you from applying if you need the support!

When I lost my server job in 2018, I was taking full time classes, but had been working for 30 hours a week for three years. I went through three months of fighting the unemployment department for not being “eligible” for unemployment. They said that because of my class schedule I was considered “not available for work” and I would only be approved for it if 1. I dropped out of school so my schedule was wide open or 2. I enrolled in a commissioner approved training program (CAT), which is like a tech school program. I was 8 months away from graduating with my four year degree, so I couldn’t do either of those things. I even showed them data on the projected annual job growth in the field I was getting a degree in and my consistent work history. It’s a huge flaw in the system that leaves university/college students vulnerable.

I'm going through a workplace injury situation too and this discussion has been so helpful! I was also told by my supervisor to "apply for everything" but now I understand why that's bad advice. One thing I learned from my physical therapist is to make sure you follow through with ALL the medical appointments L&I approves, even if you start feeling better. Apparently missing appointments or stopping treatment early can affect your claim status. Also, if L&I sends you to an independent medical exam (IME), that's normal - don't panic thinking it means they're trying to deny your claim. The hardest part for me has been the mental stress of not knowing when payments will start or how long the process takes. But reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel less alone in dealing with this confusing system. Focus on healing and let L&I handle the financial side - that's what they're there for!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a very similar situation - workplace injury and complete confusion about which benefits to apply for. My employer's HR department also gave me conflicting information about filing for unemployment alongside my L&I claim. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening! I had no idea that unemployment requires you to be "able and available" for work, which obviously doesn't apply when you're medically unable to work due to injury. The explanation about L&I providing both medical coverage AND time-loss benefits (60-75% of wages) while FMLA just protects your job makes so much sense. I'm definitely going to focus on getting my L&I claim established properly first, keep detailed documentation of everything, and try that early morning calling tip to actually reach someone. The stories about people having to pay back thousands in unemployment benefits they weren't eligible for are exactly the kind of nightmare I want to avoid! Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this thread should be required reading for anyone dealing with workplace injuries in Washington. It's so much clearer now why trying to juggle multiple benefit systems at once is a bad idea.

Whatever you decide, don't let them push you into quitting without fighting for your rights. Even if you end up leaving, make sure you've documented everything and tried to resolve it properly so you have the best chance at getting UI benefits.

I'm sorry you're going through this - workplace harassment is so draining. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to keep a detailed journal of incidents with dates, times, and what exactly happened. Even if you don't have emails or texts for everything, your own contemporaneous notes can be valuable evidence. Also, if you have any performance reviews or previous positive feedback from before this supervisor started targeting you, gather those too - they can help show that the problems aren't with your work performance but with the hostile treatment you're receiving.

Just want to echo what others have said about Claimyr - I used them last month when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my adjudication issue. It really works and saved me hours of calling. Worth checking out their demo video if you're having trouble reaching an agent.

I went through something similar last year. The key thing to remember is that Washington ESD overpayment notices can look scarier than they actually are. In many cases, there are legitimate reasons for the determination that can be resolved once you understand what happened. The most important thing is to read the notice carefully to see if it specifies the reason for the overpayment - was it unreported wages, eligibility issues, or something else? Don't panic, but do act quickly since you only have 30 days to appeal if you disagree with their decision. I'd recommend calling them as soon as possible to get clarification on exactly what triggered the overpayment determination.

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! My former employer is claiming I was "disruptive to team morale" and "failed to follow supervisor instructions" - none of which ever happened. The reality is they hired a new department head who wanted to restructure and bring in their own people, but they're making up these bogus misconduct claims to contest my unemployment. What's really frustrating is that I have zero documentation of any disciplinary actions or performance issues because there weren't any! I had good performance reviews and never received any warnings. It's like they're banking on ESD just taking their word for it. I've been in adjudication for 3 weeks now and I'm stressed beyond belief. Reading through everyone's experiences here gives me some hope though. It sounds like a lot of employers try this tactic but can't actually back up their claims when pushed for specifics. I'm gathering every piece of positive feedback I can find - emails praising my work, my last performance review, even thank you messages from clients. Hopefully that will be enough to show their claims are baseless. This whole process is so anxiety-inducing when you're already dealing with job loss!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's incredibly frustrating when employers fabricate reasons to avoid paying unemployment! I went through something similar last year where my boss claimed I was "unprofessional with customers" when actually they were just cutting costs and didn't want to admit it was a layoff. Here's what really helped my case: I documented EVERYTHING in chronological order, including dates, times, and any witnesses present. Since you mentioned the new manager wanted their own team, that's actually a really strong point in your favor - it shows the real reason for termination wasn't your performance or conduct. A few things that made a difference for me: - I requested my complete personnel file from HR (they have to provide it within 10 days in WA) - I gathered any positive feedback, emails, or performance reviews from before the new manager arrived - I stayed factual and calm during my adjudication interview, never getting emotional even though I was furious The adjudicator ended up approving my claim because my employer couldn't provide specific evidence of their accusations - just vague statements. It took about 5 weeks total but I got all my back pay. Don't lose hope! Employers who lie often can't back up their claims when ESD digs deeper. You've got this!