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Final summary: Unpaid FMLA leave with job protection = no unemployment eligibility. You must be able, available, and actively seeking work. Job attachment through protected leave disqualifies you even without wages.
Last thing - make sure you start looking for work and logging your job search activities right away. You'll need to show you're actively seeking employment to keep receiving benefits.
Been following this thread and wanted to add one more thing - if you do get into a dispute with your employer, having access to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD makes a huge difference. That Claimyr thing mentioned earlier really does work, used it myself when I couldn't get through the normal way.
One thing that helped me was doing a practice run through the application without submitting it first. Just to see what info they ask for.
Just remember that once you submit the application, the clock starts ticking on filing your weekly claims. Don't apply until you're ready to commit to the weekly filing schedule.
UPDATE: I finally got through to Washington ESD using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. Turns out my employer disputed my claim and that's why it was stuck. The agent helped me understand what I need to do for the appeal process. Would have saved me weeks of stress if I'd known about this earlier.
Thanks everyone for all the help! I successfully filed my initial claim tonight. The system was actually pretty user-friendly once I had all my info ready. Now I just wait and do my weekly claims. Fingers crossed it goes smoothly!
Ethan Scott
Just remember that every situation is different. What worked for one person might not apply to your specific case. When in doubt, talk to an actual Washington ESD representative.
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Aurora St.Pierre
•Absolutely. I feel much more prepared now though. This thread has been incredibly helpful.
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Jayden Reed
•Good luck with everything. The unemployment system can be overwhelming but you'll get through it.
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Lola Perez
One last piece of advice - start looking for work immediately even though you're getting benefits. The job market is competitive and the sooner you start networking and applying, the better.
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Aurora St.Pierre
•Definitely planning on it. Thanks again everyone for sharing your experiences and advice.
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