Thanks for all this helpful info everyone! I just tried calling the number and got through right away. The automated system was really straightforward - just had to enter my SSN, PIN, and answer the standard questions about work availability and job search activities. Got my confirmation number and it only took about 4 minutes total. Much easier than I expected!

I've been filing by phone for about 6 months now and it's become my preferred method. One tip I'd add - if you have any earnings to report, have the exact dollar amounts ready before you call. The system won't let you estimate or round up/down, it needs the precise amount. Also, if you're reporting multiple employers for the same week, you'll need to enter each one separately with their specific earnings. Takes a bit longer but ensures everything is accurate for your claim.

Thank you - I've been filing my weekly claims religiously even with the disqualification status. I'll check out the hardship resources in my county. Appreciate the suggestion!

I went through a similar appeal process about 8 months ago after quitting due to workplace bullying. The timeline can vary quite a bit - mine took about 5 weeks to get scheduled, but I've heard of people waiting up to 10 weeks depending on the complexity of their case and current backlog. A few things that really helped me during the hearing: - Having a chronological list of incidents with specific dates and witnesses - Screenshots/emails showing I attempted to resolve issues through proper channels - Medical documentation linking my health issues to the workplace situation The judge in my case was very thorough and asked detailed questions about why I felt I had no other choice but to quit. Since you have recordings and medical notes, you're in a much stronger position than many people who go through this process. One thing to prepare for - your former employer will likely participate in the hearing and may try to dispute your version of events. Don't let that intimidate you; just stick to the facts and your documentation. The burden is on you to prove good cause, but it sounds like you have solid evidence. Hang in there - I know the financial stress while waiting is awful, but with your level of documentation, you have a good shot at winning your appeal.

I'm going through this exact same frustration right now! Just filed my claim 6 days ago and have been completely lost trying to navigate the Washington ESD system. Like everyone else mentioned, the website feels like it was designed to be as confusing as possible - there's no clear "approved/denied" status anywhere obvious. After reading through all these helpful responses, I finally know to look for the monetary determination letter in the correspondence section. Haven't received mine yet, but at least now I understand that "determination pending" doesn't necessarily mean something's wrong. It's honestly crazy that we need community discussions like this just to understand basic information about our own claims. The fact that so many people are dealing with identical confusion shows this is clearly a systemic UX problem, not user error. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is way more useful than anything on the official ESD website!

I'm dealing with this exact same confusion! Filed my claim about a week ago and have been refreshing my eServices account multiple times a day trying to figure out what's happening. The "determination pending" status had me panicking that I messed something up in my application. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so reassuring - it's clear this is just how the Washington ESD system works, not that we're doing anything wrong. I finally found my monetary determination letter in correspondence after reading this thread, and it shows I'm approved for $302/week. Still waiting on that first payment but now I know that's totally normal. It's honestly ridiculous that in 2025 we need community threads like this just to understand basic benefit status information. The website UX is genuinely terrible - there should be a simple dashboard showing "APPROVED" or "PENDING" right when you log in, not this treasure hunt through multiple sections!

This whole conversation has been incredibly reassuring! I'm actually in a very similar situation to the original poster - been collecting for about 5 weeks and just got offered a part-time retail position. What really stands out to me from reading everyone's experiences is how the system is actually designed to encourage part-time work rather than penalize it. The formula seems straightforward once you understand it, and the key theme I'm seeing is just being completely transparent about everything. I'm feeling much more confident about accepting this job offer now. One small thing I wanted to add that I learned from my own research - make sure you save copies of your weekly claim confirmations that show you reported work. I read somewhere that having that documentation can be helpful if there are ever any questions down the road about what you reported and when. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences here - it's so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official ESD website!

As someone who just went through this exact process, I can confirm that Washington ESD actually makes it pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. I was terrified at first too, but after working part-time for the last 8 weeks while collecting, I've learned it's really not as scary as it seems. The key things that helped me: 1) Set up a simple spreadsheet to track every shift - date, hours, gross pay before taxes, 2) Report everything on the week you actually worked (not when you got paid), 3) Don't stress about small calculation errors - just be honest and ESD will figure out the math. The partial benefit reduction actually worked out better than I expected financially. My weekly benefit is $380, and when I work about 12-15 hours and earn around $200, I still get about $180 in unemployment benefits. So I'm actually bringing in more total income than just unemployment alone. Just take that part-time job and be meticulous about reporting - you've got this!

I'm just starting my unemployment claim next week and this entire thread has been incredibly valuable! I had no idea that online training could count as job search activities, and I was dreading having to come up with 3 meaningful activities every week. I'm planning to pursue some AWS cloud certification courses since that's where my IT career is heading, and based on all the excellent advice here, I feel confident about how to approach it properly. The documentation strategies everyone has shared are going to save me so much stress during any potential review. One quick question for the group: Has anyone had experience with AWS training specifically? The courses are free but quite technical and time-intensive. I'm wondering if completing lab exercises and hands-on projects would count as substantial enough progress to log as separate activities, or if I should stick to only counting major certification milestone completions? Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - this community knowledge is so much more helpful than the confusing official ESD guidance!

I'm also dealing with this exact question right now! I've been on unemployment for about 6 weeks and just started a UX/UI design bootcamp that's self-paced. Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - I had no idea about the level of documentation needed. Based on what everyone's shared, I'm planning to: - Only count major project completions and module assessments as activities - Document very specifically what I learned and how it applies to UX jobs I'm seeing - Keep screenshots of all certificates and project submissions - Balance training with actual job applications (maybe 1 training activity per week max) One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen mentioned - has anyone had success using portfolio projects created during online courses as separate job search activities? Like if I build a mobile app prototype as part of my UX course, could submitting that project to my portfolio also count as a distinct activity since it's directly improving my job application materials? Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this thread should honestly be pinned as a resource for other people navigating this confusing process!