If your standby request gets denied, you'd receive a determination letter explaining why. The most common reasons are: 1. Return date too far in the future without employer verification 2. Employer failed to submit their portion of the request 3. You've exceeded the maximum standby period allowable If denied, you would immediately become subject to job search requirements (3 activities per week) retroactive to when you requested standby. This means you could potentially be disqualified for those weeks if you haven't been doing job searches while waiting for approval. As a precaution, some people continue doing and documenting job searches even while waiting for standby approval, just in case.

Update: I talked to my employer and they're submitting the form today. I'm going to do my weekly claim tomorrow and select standby as my reason. I'll also document some job searches just in case something goes wrong with the standby approval. Thanks everyone for your help! This whole system is so complicated and the website really doesn't explain any of this clearly.

One last thing - if you're ever dealing with Washington ESD as an employer or employee and need to get through their phone system, that Claimyr service someone mentioned really does work. Used it myself when I had questions about a contested claim.

Bottom line - don't feel guilty about filing for unemployment if you're eligible. It's an insurance system that both you and your employer paid into.

UPDATE: Just checked my account this morning (4 days after the escalation call) and my status changed to "paid"!!! The money isn't in my account yet, but the portal shows all 9 weeks approved! I'm literally crying right now. Thanks everyone for your advice and support. If anyone else is stuck in adjudication hell, definitely try contacting your state officials - it really works!

Congratulations Alice! Your success story gives me so much hope. I've been stuck in adjudication for 7 weeks now and was about to give up. Just called the Governor's office this morning after reading your post - they said they'd reach out to ESD within 24-48 hours. Fingers crossed I get similar results! Did you have to provide any additional documentation when the ESD agent called you back, or did they already have everything they needed?

This is totally off topic but since we're talking taxes - did anyone else's unemployment tax form (1099-G) show up super late this year? Mine just arrived yesterday and taxes are due in like 2 weeks! Stressing me out!!!

Just wanted to add my experience - I was in the same boat last year and called ESD directly to be 100% sure. The representative confirmed that tax refunds are NOT reportable income because they're just returning money you already paid in taxes. However, they did emphasize that if you receive any earned income tax credits (like EITC) that exceed what you actually paid in taxes, those portions might be treated differently. But for a standard refund where you're just getting back your own overpaid taxes, you're totally in the clear. Don't stress about it!

THE ENTIRE ESD SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE PEOPLE! This is exactly how they trip people up and then charge them with "fraud" when it was their confusing system all along. I spent THREE MONTHS fighting an overpayment because of this exact issue. Make sure you document EVERYTHING and save screenshots of your weekly claim submissions. The system is rigged against workers, especially those with non-traditional schedules.

Just wanted to add that if you're still unsure, you can always call the ESD customer service line to confirm how your specific employer reports hours. I know the wait times are brutal, but it's worth it to get official clarification rather than guessing. Also, some employers have HR departments that are familiar with ESD reporting requirements and can tell you exactly how they submit your hours. Better to spend a few minutes checking now than dealing with weeks of headaches later if there's a mismatch!