I just wanted to add another perspective since I work in HR and deal with unemployment claims regularly. Your neighbor is absolutely wrong - regular UI benefits are not loans and never have to be repaid under normal circumstances. What might be confusing people is that during the pandemic, there were so many different programs (PPP loans, EIDL loans, etc.) that DID have repayment requirements or forgiveness conditions. But regular state unemployment insurance has always been exactly that - insurance that you and your employer pay into while you're working. The Washington ESD system is funded by employer taxes and employee contributions, so when you collect benefits, you're simply using the insurance you've already paid for. The only time repayment comes up is in overpayment situations, which typically occur when someone works but doesn't report it, provides false information, or isn't actually available for work when they claim to be. As long as you're being honest on your weekly claims and following the job search requirements, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Don't let misinformation cause you unnecessary stress during an already difficult time!

I went through this exact same panic when I first started collecting unemployment benefits! Your neighbor is completely wrong - regular unemployment insurance benefits in Washington State are absolutely NOT loans and do NOT have to be paid back. I was so stressed about this that I called Washington ESD multiple times to confirm, and every representative told me the same thing: UI benefits are insurance that you've already paid into through payroll deductions while working. The only time you'd ever have to pay anything back is if there's an overpayment determination, which only happens if you received benefits you weren't eligible for (like not reporting work income, providing false information, etc.). Since you've been following the rules and reporting everything correctly for 6 weeks, you have nothing to worry about. I've been collecting for 4 months now without any issues. Your neighbor probably confused unemployment with pandemic business loans or something similar. Don't lose any more sleep over this - you're using benefits you've already earned and paid for!

To clarify what others have said: 1. Being physically outside the US typically means you are not "able and available" for work in Washington's job market, which is a requirement for benefits. 2. However, ESD does have exceptions for temporary absences due to emergency situations with immediate family members. 3. You have a few options: - Contact ESD and request a formal exception before you leave - Temporarily stop filing weekly claims while you're away - Apply for a formal leave from job search requirements 4. If you do file while overseas without disclosure, ESD can detect this through IP tracking, and it could result in an overpayment determination or investigation for potential fraud. I recommend being completely transparent with ESD. Document your communication attempts. If you can't reach them before leaving, at minimum send an email to create a record of your attempt to notify them of your emergency situation.

I'm so glad you got through to ESD and got this sorted out! That must be such a relief during an already stressful time with your mom being ill. You made the right choice being upfront with them about the emergency. I hope everything goes well with your mom and that the family time helps during this difficult period. Safe travels, and don't worry about the unemployment stuff while you're dealing with more important family matters - it'll be there when you get back.

Don't let them discourage you from applying! I was in a very similar situation - got terminated for "performance issues" after working somewhere for over a year with no prior warnings. Washington ESD approved my claim because they determined it wasn't willful misconduct. The fact that you had no written warnings and were struggling with new software (which sounds like a training/system issue) actually works in your favor. File your claim ASAP and be straightforward about what happened. Even if your employer contests it, you have a good chance of winning during adjudication. The worst case scenario is they say no, but you'll never know unless you try!

I went through something very similar about 6 months ago - got terminated for "productivity issues" but it was really because I was having trouble with some new software they rolled out without proper training. Washington ESD approved my claim because they determined it wasn't misconduct, just a performance issue related to inadequate training. The fact that you had no written warnings and were struggling with new systems actually strengthens your case. Washington ESD is pretty good about distinguishing between actual misconduct and situations where employees are set up to fail. Definitely file your claim - you've got nothing to lose and based on what you've described, you have a solid chance of getting approved. Don't let the fear of your employer contesting it stop you from applying!

Thanks for all the info everyone! I'm setting up my bank alerts now and will keep track of the Tuesday morning pattern. Hopefully this helps reduce my weekly payment anxiety lol.

I've been on unemployment for about 6 months now and can confirm the Tuesday morning pattern everyone's describing. My payments with US Bank typically show up between 5-7 AM on Tuesdays, but I've noticed it can be as late as 9 AM during busy periods. One thing I'd add is that if you have multiple pending issues on your claim, it can delay the whole batch of payments, so make sure to resolve any adjudication issues quickly. The ESD mobile app also sends push notifications when payments are processed, which is helpful for tracking.

The bottom line is communication with Washington ESD is key. Report everything, ask questions when you're unsure, and keep good records of your work hours and pay. Better to over-communicate than get caught in a problem later.

Just to add one more practical tip - when you start your part-time job, make sure to keep detailed records of your work schedule and hours each week. I use a simple notebook to track my daily hours, and it makes filing the weekly claims much easier. Also, if your hours vary week to week, you might have weeks where you qualify for full benefits and others where you get partial or no benefits - that's totally normal with part-time work while on unemployment.