Former ESD appeal attorney here. The deadline to appeal is critical - file it even if you're still gathering evidence. You can always withdraw if needed. For your specific situation (alleged unauthorized data access), you'll need to prove: 1. You were authorized to access the systems in question 2. You used them for legitimate work purposes 3. You didn't violate any clearly communicated policies The legal standard for misconduct in Washington requires that your actions were: - Willful or wanton - Deliberately violating employer interests - Showing substantial disregard for your employment obligations If this was simply a misunderstanding about what systems you were allowed to use, that typically doesn't rise to misconduct level. Make sure you emphasize your 4-year positive work history and perfect performance reviews. As for legal representation, the Unemployment Law Project is excellent and offers sliding scale fees. Call them at 206-441-9178 or visit unemploymentlawproject.org.

One thing that really helped me win my appeal was printing out the actual RCW (state law) definition of misconduct and bringing it to my hearing. It's RCW 50.04.294 if you want to look it up. The legal definition is much narrower than what most employers think. Most importantly, if this was just a misunderstanding about which systems you were authorized to use, that's likely NOT misconduct under the law. Misconduct requires you to deliberately disregard your employer's interests. Bring any training materials or emails showing you were given access to these systems. If you have performance reviews showing you were a good employee, bring those too - they help show you wouldn't deliberately violate policy. Oh, and if you decide to get an attorney, many will do a free consultation to evaluate your case. Some work on contingency (only get paid if you win).

ugh the food industry is THE WORST for this kinda thing!! i worked at three different restaurants and they ALL pulled this stuff. pretty sure its illegal to not give breaks during 10 hour shifts but good luck proving it without documentation. the whole system is rigged against workers!!

Quick update for anyone else facing a similar situation. I filed my claim yesterday focusing on the hours discrepancy and mentioning that I tried to resolve the issue with management before quitting. My status now shows "adjudication in progress" so I'm preparing all the details I can remember about the job description from my interview. I'll keep this thread updated with how it goes. Thanks everyone for the advice!

UPDATE: Finally got through to someone! For anyone else with this issue - I used the 833-572-8400 number that @ClaimExpert suggested and pressed 1, then 3 like they said. Still waited about an hour but actually spoke to a person! My problem was that when I reopened my claim, it got flagged for "eligibility review" which prevented the weekly claim option from appearing. The agent manually added the option to my account and I was able to backdate my claim to include the waiting week. They said this is happening to a lot of people right now because their system was updated in February. Thanks everyone for your help!

@UI_Struggler Glad you got through! For your first payment after reopening, it typically takes 3-5 business days once you've successfully filed those weekly claims. Since you had that eligibility flag, it might take slightly longer, but you should see it by next week. The waiting week doesn't pay out but it's important that it's properly credited in the system.

have u checked ur correspondence folder in eservices? sometimes they send questions or need more info but dont email u about it

Update us when you get paid! I'm curious how long it'll end up taking in your case. It really seems to vary person to person.

Just to clarify my earlier response - yes, if it's PAID leave, he needs to report both the hours and the pay. The system is designed to track both how much money you receive and how many hours you were compensated for. One other thing to be aware of: if his final paycheck includes the FMLA pay, he'll need to report that on his weekly claim for the week in which he receives it (not when it was earned). ESD cares about when money is received, not when it was earned.

i think everyones overcomplicating this lol. just be honest on ur claims and youll be fine! report any money u get, skip reporting for weeks ur fully employed (or fully on paid leave) and resume reporting when ur not getting any other money. ESD isnt trying to trick u, just be straightforward