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sorta related but does anyone know if the jury duty stipend counts against the earnings limit? like if your wba is $500 and you can earn up to $167 before reductions, does the jury pay count toward that? just curious
Yes, the jury stipend does count as earnings against your weekly earnings allowance. However, since it's only $10/day, it's unlikely to significantly impact your benefits unless you're already working part-time and reporting other income that week. Remember that in WA state, your benefits only reduce by 75 cents for every dollar you earn above the earnings threshold.
According to the ESD handbook, temporary unavailability due to jury duty doesn't disqualify you from benefits. The handbook states: "Civic obligations such as jury duty or court appearances are considered temporary situations and do not affect your eligibility as long as you remain available for suitable work before and after the obligation." So yes, you can and should claim your benefits that week. Report the jury stipend as income, answer yes to the availability question, and continue your job search activities around your jury schedule. If you can't complete all three job search activities that week due to full-day jury service, document this situation in case of future audit.
I'm an employment attorney (though not YOUR attorney, so this isn't formal legal advice). For your unemployment appeal hearing, the legal standard to focus on is whether there was "misconduct" that would disqualify you from benefits. Insubordination can be misconduct, but refusing a schedule change with only 4 days' notice when you have legitimate childcare constraints is generally NOT considered misconduct under Washington unemployment law. Key points for your hearing: 1. Emphasize that you were willing to work with them on a solution but needed reasonable accommodation and time to arrange childcare 2. Note that you had a consistent schedule for 3 years that was suddenly changed 3. Explain specifically WHY 4 days wasn't enough time (childcare contracts, provider availability, etc.) 4. Frame it as an impossible choice, not insubordination Under WAC 192-150-120, a substantial involuntary change to your work agreement can constitute good cause for leaving employment, especially with inadequate notice. Stay calm, stick to facts, and don't get baited into criticizing your former employer.
Wow, thank you so much for citing the specific regulation! I just looked up WAC 192-150-120 and it seems really relevant to my situation. Is it appropriate for me to mention this regulation by name during the hearing?
Yes, it's absolutely appropriate to reference it. The Administrative Law Judge will know the regulation, but showing you're aware of it demonstrates you understand your rights. Just say something like, "I believe my situation falls under WAC 192-150-120 regarding substantial involuntary changes to working conditions." Then explain how the facts of your case satisfy the elements of the regulation.
UPDATE: I had my appeal hearing this morning and I think it went well! I stayed calm and focused on the facts about the schedule change giving me inadequate notice for childcare arrangements. I mentioned WAC 192-150-120 which seemed to impress the judge, and I had all my documentation ready. The judge said I should receive a decision within 2-3 weeks. Thank you all SO MUCH for your advice - it made me much more prepared and confident!
Great job! The fact that you were prepared and could reference the relevant regulations probably made a very positive impression. Staying calm is huge too. Now comes the hard part - waiting! But based on what you've shared, I think you have a strong case. Please let us know when you get the decision!
I'm going through this exact situation and finally managed to reach an ESD agent yesterday. They told me that any change in your weekly claim answers compared to previous weeks can trigger an automatic review - even saying "no" to looking for work when you previously said "yes" (like if you had interviews one week but not the next). The agent also mentioned their system sometimes flags claims randomly for quality control. Another thing to check: did you work any hours at all during your pending week? Even a single hour can sometimes trigger a review if the system thinks there might be earnings to deduct. Once you get someone on the phone, they should be able to release the pending payment if there's no actual issue with your claim. Good luck!
This is really helpful info, thank you! I didn't work any hours, but I did answer slightly differently on one question about job contacts (I had 4 instead of 3 like the previous week). I wouldn't think that would trigger a review, but maybe their system is just that sensitive? It's crazy how little explanation they provide.
my roomate has wsecu and gets hers the day after it says paid every time. but she's been on unemployment for like 6 months so maybe its different for new claims?
UPDATE: The money just hit my account! It took about 36 hours from when the status changed to 'paid'. Thanks everyone for the help and reassurance. For anyone searching this in the future - for WSECU, expect about 1-2 days after the ESD website shows 'paid' for regular deposits, but the first one might take a bit longer.
i forgot to say my friend missed a week once and she called ESD right away and they let her backfile for the missed week. BUT she had to call within like 3 days of missing it and had a good excuse (she was in the hospital). so if he does miss a week don't give up, call them asap!!
I had the same issue last summer when I filed. The weekly claim button didn't show up until about 10 days after my initial application. Something about how their system processes new claims. But heres the weird thing - when it finally appeared, I was able to backfile for the week I thought I missed! So don't panic yet, just keep checking every day. The ESD systems are really outdated lol.
Quick update for everyone in this thread: I just checked with an ESD contact and they confirmed they're currently working through a backlog of ID verification cases from early February. They expect to clear most of these within the next 10 business days. If you uploaded documents in early-mid February, you should see movement on your claim soon.
UPDATE: After trying everything suggested here, I finally got through to ESD using the Claimyr service. The agent confirmed my ID docs were fine and just needed review. She expedited my case and THREE HOURS LATER my account updated to "paid"! All 4 weeks of backpay should hit my account tomorrow. For anyone dealing with this - keep filing weekly claims, be persistent about calling, and document everything. Thanks everyone for your help and advice during this stressful time.
try checking again tomorrow morning. sometimes the esd website updates weird and stuff doesn't show up right away. happened to my boyfriend twice
Just an update to my earlier comment - I just checked and ESD actually posted on their Twitter account yesterday that they were experiencing "temporary display issues with claim history for some users" and that they're working on resolving it. So there's a good chance your claim was actually received but just isn't showing up in your account. Still worth calling to confirm though!
One more important thing to note - this payment may have tax implications. Even though the claim is from 2021, if you received the payment in 2025, it counts as income for your 2025 taxes. ESD should send you a 1099-G form next January that you'll need to include with your tax return. Make sure your address is updated in the ESD system so you receive this form.
My situation was kinda similar but I'm now wondering if I messed up... I had 2 interviews with Amazon (phone then virtual) but I just listed Amazon once on my job search log with the date of the first interview. Should I go back and fix this somehow?? I don't want to get in trouble but I already submitted those weeks...
You should be fine for past weeks - ESD doesn't typically expect you to go back and correct previous entries unless they specifically request you to. But going forward, definitely count each interview separately! It works in your favor anyway since you get more activities counted toward your weekly requirement.
have you tried calling esd to ask? i tried calling them like 50 times last month and never got thru lol. their phone system is the WORST
Calling ESD directly is nearly impossible these days. When I had a similar question, I used Claimyr.com and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of making dozens of failed calls. They connected me directly to an ESD rep who confirmed that each interview stage counts as a separate activity.
Natasha Volkova
Just to follow up on my earlier comment - definitely do both the email AND the secure message like others suggested. Belt and suspenders approach is best with ESD. And make sure to check your spam folder for responses too. Their emails sometimes end up there.
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Oliver Zimmermann
Update: I sent both an email to the recovery address AND a secure message through eServices yesterday morning. Just got a response to my email confirming they've received my withdrawal request and will process it within 5-7 business days! Thanks everyone for your help with this. Such a relief to have it in progress!
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Emma Davis
•Great to hear! Make sure to keep an eye on your online account over the next few weeks to confirm the status reverts back properly. Sometimes there can be system delays in updating the portal even after they've processed your request internally.
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CosmicCommander
•congrats! much faster than dealing with phone hell right?
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