Really appreciate seeing all the detailed experiences shared here! As someone who's been through the ESD system twice (once in 2019 and again during the pandemic), I wanted to add a few practical tips: 1. When you document the salary discussions, try to get something in writing if possible - even a follow-up email summarizing what was discussed verbally can be helpful evidence. 2. The "substantially less" threshold isn't just about percentage - ESD also looks at whether the new salary would meet your basic living expenses. If your previous job allowed you to cover rent/mortgage and this one wouldn't, that's relevant. 3. Don't forget to continue your job search activities even while navigating these offers. ESD still expects you to be actively seeking work, so keep applying to other positions and documenting those efforts. The fact that you're only 4 weeks into unemployment and have already generated multiple interviews shows you're conducting a genuine job search, which works in your favor. Company B moving up your interview is a great sign - sometimes the best opportunities are worth the extra stress of navigating the timing carefully. Keep us posted on how tomorrow goes!

As someone who works in HR and deals with unemployment claims regularly, I wanted to add some insights from the employer side that might be helpful. When companies make offers, they typically don't report declined offers to ESD immediately - usually only if specifically asked during an investigation. However, you're absolutely right to be transparent about it on your weekly claims. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that you can also negotiate with Company A if they do make an offer. Since you mentioned they only "hinted" at lower pay, there might be room to discuss salary, especially if you can demonstrate your value. Sometimes companies start with a lower number to see if you'll accept it, but have flexibility to go higher. Also, regarding the skill mismatch - document specific examples of how the client management duties differ from your data analytics background. For instance, if your previous role was focused on SQL queries, data visualization, and statistical analysis, but this new role requires sales presentations, customer relationship management, and conflict resolution, those are distinctly different skill sets that ESD would likely recognize as unsuitable work. The 4-week mark works in your favor since you're still in that initial period where ESD expects you to find work similar to your previous role. Good luck with Company B tomorrow!

That's actually a positive update! Getting a specific deadline from ESD is rare, so the fact that they gave you a concrete timeframe (end of next week) suggests they're ready to move forward with your case. The comment about your case notes looking good is encouraging too - adjudicators usually don't say that unless your documentation is solid. Since you have detailed records of the hostile work environment and your employer still hasn't responded after 6+ weeks, you're in a much better position than many voluntary quit cases. Just keep filing those weekly claims and try not to stress too much over the next week. You've done everything right on your end!

Just wanted to add my experience - I went through a voluntary quit adjudication in late 2024 and it took about 8 weeks total. My employer also never responded, which actually worked out in my favor since I had good documentation about why I had to quit (unsafe working conditions). One thing that really helped was when I called ESD, I always asked them to add notes to my file about our conversation. The agents can put timestamps and details about what was discussed, which creates a paper trail showing you're actively engaged in the process. It seemed to help move things along faster than just waiting passively. Also, if you do get approved, remember that Washington pays benefits retroactively to when you first filed, so all those weeks you've been waiting won't be lost money. Keep your chin up - it sounds like you've done everything right and documented your case well!

Just wondering, when did you initially file your claim? I've been waiting for mine to change from 'processing' to 'paid' for almost 3 weeks now! Did you have to do anything special to get it to move to paid status?

Any update? Did your payment arrive today?

For what it's worth, the Washington ESD website does have a benefit estimator tool, but it's pretty basic. Gives you a rough idea though if you have your wage info handy.

Based on your $4,200 monthly income, you should be looking at a pretty decent weekly benefit amount. If that translates to around $12,600 in your highest quarter, you'd be getting roughly $484-500 per week using Washington's formula. That's actually not too bad compared to what some other states offer. Just make sure you file as soon as you're laid off since there can be delays in processing, and don't forget about the tax implications - you might want to have them withhold 10% for federal taxes to avoid a surprise bill later.

Update us on how it goes! Always curious to hear how these background check cases turn out with Washington ESD.

I went through something very similar about 8 months ago. Got let go from a retail job after their background check flagged an old charge I thought I had disclosed properly. Washington ESD approved my claim after about 10 days - no adjudication needed. The key thing that helped me was having screenshots of the job application where I checked "yes" to having a criminal history and provided details in the explanation box. Even though the background check company found additional details I wasn't aware of, ESD ruled that I had made a good faith effort to be honest and that the termination wasn't due to workplace misconduct. Definitely apply ASAP and gather any evidence you have of your disclosure during the hiring process.