One more important point: During your appeal hearing, focus exclusively on the facts related to your separation. Many claimants make the mistake of going off on tangents about other workplace issues or how unfair the company was in general. The judge only cares about: 1. The actual reason you were separated 2. Whether that reason constitutes misconduct If the employer claimed you abandoned your job, they need to show you were absent without approval and failed to follow call-in procedures. Your evidence showing a "staff reduction" directly contradicts this. Also, if your claim is initially denied due to the employer's statements, you can still receive all back benefits if you win on appeal. Make sure to continue filing your weekly claims while waiting for the appeal decision!

I went through something very similar last year and it's infuriating when employers outright lie to avoid their UI tax increases. The good news is you have excellent documentation - that termination letter saying "staff reduction" is going to be your strongest piece of evidence. A few things that helped me during my appeal: 1. Create a timeline showing exactly what happened leading up to your termination, including dates of the policy change discussions and your questioning of it 2. Print out those text messages and emails - don't just rely on showing them on your phone during the hearing 3. If you have any witnesses who can verify the real reason (coworkers who were also affected by the hour cuts), consider asking if they'd be willing to testify The fact that your employer is claiming "job abandonment" when you were clearly terminated makes their lie pretty obvious. Job abandonment means you just stopped showing up - but you have a termination letter! That contradiction alone should raise red flags for the adjudicator. Stay calm during the process and stick to the facts. You've got this - employers who lie like this usually get caught when faced with actual documentation.

Last thought - if anyone is preparing for their appeal hearing, practice explaining your situation clearly and concisely. I rambled too much in my first hearing and felt like I confused the judge. Second time I was more prepared and it went much better.

I'm in a similar situation - had my appeal hearing 10 days ago and the waiting is absolutely killing me. My case was also for voluntary quit due to hostile work environment. The judge seemed to understand my situation and asked good questions about the documentation I provided. Really hoping for positive news soon! Reading everyone's experiences here is helping me stay somewhat sane during this anxious wait. Fingers crossed for both of us Malik!

Final reminder for anyone still struggling to reach Washington ESD with questions - that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier has been a lifesaver. If you need to talk to someone about your specific situation and can't get through the regular phone lines, it's worth checking out their demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ.

I've been dealing with the same confusion! Been unemployed for 3 months and kept thinking there was some secret online portal I couldn't find. It's actually kind of relieving to know that keeping your own records is the standard process. I've been using a simple Google Sheet with columns for date, company, position, contact method, and outcome - seems to work well for staying organized. The stress of thinking I was doing something wrong was honestly worse than just maintaining the log itself.

I just had my RESEA meeting yesterday and wanted to add my perspective since you seem really anxious about it! First off, take a deep breath - it's genuinely not as intimidating as it sounds. My meeting was with a WorkSource specialist over Zoom and she was incredibly professional and helpful. Here's what actually happened: She verified my identity, reviewed my job search logs from the past 2 weeks (exactly as the letter stated - no need for all 5 weeks), asked about my job search approach and any challenges I'm facing, looked at my resume and gave some solid feedback, and then recommended a few WorkSource resources that were actually relevant to my situation. The whole thing took about 35 minutes even though it was scheduled for an hour. What surprised me most was how knowledgeable she was about my industry and the local job market. She pointed me toward a couple of companies I hadn't considered and even mentioned some upcoming hiring events. It really felt more like getting free career counseling than being interrogated about my eligibility. Just make sure you have your 2 weeks of job search logs well-organized, be ready to talk honestly about your job search strategy, and have your resume available to share on screen. Since you're already keeping detailed records and actively job searching, you're going to do just fine!

Just had my RESEA meeting last week and wanted to add another perspective! Mine was actually really productive - the specialist took time to understand my background and career goals, not just check boxes. She reviewed my 2 weeks of job search logs (stick with what the letter says, that's really all they need), but what made it valuable was the discussion about my search strategy. She helped me identify that I might be limiting myself geographically and suggested some remote opportunities in my field I hadn't considered. We also went over my LinkedIn profile during the screen share portion and she gave me some tips for optimizing it. The meeting ran about 40 minutes and ended with her sending me a follow-up email with links to several relevant job postings and a WorkSource workshop on interviewing skills. Honestly, it felt like having a free session with a career coach who actually knows the local market. Just be genuine about your efforts and open to their suggestions - sounds like you're already doing great with your documentation and active searching!

Thanks everyone for all the detailed explanations! This thread answered way more questions than I expected. Sounds like the base period is pretty standardized but there are backup options if needed.

This is such a comprehensive thread! I'm in a similar situation where I had some employment gaps and was worried about qualifying. Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like the 4-quarter base period system is actually more flexible than I initially thought. The alternate base period option could be really helpful for people like us who had more recent work. I'm definitely going to gather all my wage information from the past year and a half before I file my claim. Thanks for breaking down all the different scenarios - this is way more helpful than the official Washington ESD website!