This is unfortunately super common with large retailers. I went through something similar with Target a few years back - they automatically contested my claim even though I had written documentation of the store closure. The adjudication process is frustrating but Washington ESD does a pretty thorough job reviewing the evidence. Since you have your WARN notice and severance paperwork, you're in a strong position. Just make sure to submit everything through your SecureAccess account ASAP and keep filing your weekly claims even during the adjudication. The back pay adds up if you win. Hang in there - it's a waiting game but the odds are in your favor with that level of documentation.

I went through this exact same thing with Walmart about 8 months ago when they closed our neighborhood market in Tacoma. They contested my claim even though the entire store was shutting down - like how is that not obviously a layoff?? The adjudication took about 6 weeks but I eventually won and got all my back pay. The key thing that helped me was keeping detailed records of everything - I had my manager's email about the store closure, the official notice they posted, and my severance check stub. Walmart's lawyers are basically playing a numbers game hoping people will give up or make mistakes in their paperwork. Don't let them intimidate you - with your WARN notice and severance documentation, you've got a really solid case. Just stay persistent and keep filing those weekly claims!

Just to summarize what everyone has shared (which is all good info): 1. You CAN still receive benefits if only one employer approves 2. Benefits will likely be calculated using only the wages from the approved employer 3. Quitting one job for a better paying job is usually considered "good cause" in Washington 4. You MUST continue filing weekly claims during adjudication 5. Keep doing your 3 job search activities each week and documenting them 6. Adjudication times vary but seem to be taking 3-5 weeks currently 7. If approved, you'll receive backpay for weeks claimed during adjudication The most important thing is to keep filing those weekly claims and doing your job search activities while waiting. If your claim goes into adjudication for a while and you need to speak with someone at ESD, that's when options like Claimyr might help you get through faster.

I went through something similar about 6 months ago and wanted to share my experience. I had three different employers during my base year - got approved by two but denied by the third (they claimed I was fired for misconduct, which wasn't true). ESD calculated my benefits based on wages from the two approved employers, so my weekly benefit amount was reduced but I still qualified. The whole adjudication process took about 4 weeks, which felt like forever when you're waiting for income. One thing I learned the hard way - make sure you're keeping detailed records of EVERYTHING during this process. Save all your correspondence with ESD, document your job search activities thoroughly, and keep notes about what each employer told you during your separation interviews. If you do end up needing to appeal anything later, having good documentation makes a huge difference. Also, don't panic if your online account shows confusing status updates during adjudication - mine went back and forth between "pending" and "under review" multiple times before finally showing approved. The system isn't great at showing what's actually happening behind the scenes. Hang in there! It sounds like you have a good case, especially since you quit the retail job for better pay and were laid off from the warehouse job through no fault of your own.

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I'm feeling much better about this now. I'll organize my job search records as best I can, schedule the virtual appointment, and come prepared with questions about resources specific to my industry. Really appreciate all the perspectives here - sounds like it's not as scary as I initially thought, especially if I go in with the right attitude and preparation. I'll update after my appointment in case it helps anyone else!

Just wanted to add my recent experience from last week - I was super anxious about my WorkSource appointment too, but it ended up being really helpful! I did the virtual option and my counselor actually took time to review my resume and suggested some keywords to add based on current job market trends. She also connected me with a local networking group I didn't know existed. The job search log review was pretty casual - they just wanted to see I was making consistent effort. Don't stress too much about having every detail perfect. They really do seem focused on helping rather than catching you in mistakes. The whole thing took about 45 minutes and I walked away with actionable next steps.

wow this is way more responses than i expected when i started reading! everyone here really knows their stuff about washington unemployment. makes me feel less alone dealing with all this bureaucracy

As someone who's been through the Washington ESD weekly claim process for several months now, I wanted to add a few things that might help newcomers. First, don't stress if your first payment is delayed - it's totally normal while they verify everything. Second, if you're doing any kind of side work (even selling stuff online), report it honestly. I made the mistake of not reporting some small eBay sales early on and it caused issues later. Also, bookmark the weekly claim page in your browser so you don't have to navigate through the whole SAW portal each time. And one last tip - if you ever get an overpayment notice, don't ignore it! Address it immediately because the penalties add up fast. The system definitely has its quirks but once you get the hang of it, it becomes pretty routine.

FINAL EDIT: Mea culpa! I had forgotten I received benefits in 2010-2012. Please ignore this post. Sorry! I just wanted to update everyone. After digging deeper into my records as someone suggested, I realized those 1099-Gs ARE actually from 2010-2012 when I received benefits during the recession. I completely forgot about that period! My recent 1099-Gs should be available separately, I just didn't look in the right place. Sorry for the confusion and thanks everyone for your help.

This is actually a great example of why it's so important to keep organized records of all unemployment periods! I've been through the ESD system multiple times over the years and it can definitely be confusing when you have claims from different time periods. For anyone else reading this - always check the "Tax Documents" section separately from your general account overview, and remember that 1099-Gs can take a while to show up for recent benefit years. ESD's interface isn't the most intuitive for finding older vs. newer documents.