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- Redial until on hold
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- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
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The bottom line is that 2 months at your current job doesn't disqualify you if you have sufficient work history during your base period. You should be fine if you've been working regularly before this job.
Daniel Price
•Perfect. I worked full-time for over a year at my previous job, so it sounds like I'd meet the requirements. Thanks for all the help everyone!
Just wanted to add that Claimyr really does work for getting through to Washington ESD. I was skeptical at first but they got me connected within an hour when I'd been trying for days on my own.
Good to know there are options when the regular phone lines are jammed. The unemployment system is hard enough without spending all day trying to reach someone.
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One last piece of advice - if you do decide to quit, don't give too much notice. In Washington state, if you give notice and they let you go immediately, you might be able to argue that you were actually terminated rather than that you quit voluntarily.
Nalani Liu
•Interesting, I was planning to give two weeks notice to be professional about it.
Nothing wrong with being professional, just know that if they walk you out immediately after you give notice, that could actually work in your favor for unemployment purposes.
Whatever you decide, don't wait too long to file your claim if you do quit. You want to get the process started as soon as possible, especially since quit claims take longer to process. And definitely talk to a Washington ESD agent directly about your specific situation before making the final decision.
Nalani Liu
•Thanks everyone for all the advice. This has been really helpful in understanding my options.
Good luck with whatever you decide! Your mental health is important too, not just the money.
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Sean Kelly
ok this thread convinced me the system isn't totally broken, just needs better customer service. still gonna try that claimyr thing though lol
Exactly the right attitude! The underlying system is sound, it's just the implementation that needs work.
Omar Hassan
•Customer service improvements would go a long way. When people can't reach anyone to resolve issues, it undermines confidence in the whole system.
The evolution continues too. Washington ESD has been working on system modernization and automation to reduce those adjudication delays. Technology should eventually make the process much smoother for everyone.
Diego Chavez
•About time! The current system was designed for a much simpler economy. Gig work, remote employment, multiple income sources - it all complicates the traditional model.
StarSurfer
•Hopefully by the time I graduate and potentially need UI again, it'll be much more user-friendly!
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Yara Sayegh
Bottom line: Washington ESD pays unemployment benefits weekly. File your weekly claim every week, meet the job search requirements, report any work or income accurately, and you should receive regular payments. If you run into problems, don't hesitate to reach out for help - whether that's calling Washington ESD directly or using a service like Claimyr to get through when the phones are busy.
Perfect summary! I feel like I understand the process much better now. Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses.
This thread was really helpful for me too! I'm in a similar situation and was wondering the same thing.
Zainab Omar
Glad we could help clear up the confusion! The Washington ESD system can seem overwhelming at first but once you get the hang of the weekly routine it becomes much more manageable. Good luck with your claim!
Thank you so much! I'll update here if I run into any issues but I'm feeling much more confident now.
Evelyn Xu
Reading all this makes me realize how much I didn't know when I first applied. Wish I had found a thread like this before going through the process blind.
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Dominic Green
•Same here. The Washington ESD website has the information but it's not always clear how it all fits together.
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Evelyn Xu
•Exactly. Having real people explain it in plain English makes such a difference.
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Hannah Flores
For anyone still reading this thread, I just want to emphasize again how important the job search requirement is. Washington ESD takes it seriously and they do audit claims. Make sure you're actually applying for jobs and documenting everything properly in WorkSourceWA.
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Hannah Flores
•They can disqualify you from benefits and potentially make you pay back what you've already received. It's not worth the risk to fake your job search activities.
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Ethan Anderson
•Noted. I'll make sure to keep detailed records of all my job applications.
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