I had a similar situation in 2024 and what tripped me up was that I didn't realize I needed to list my temp job as a new employer. When reopening, make sure you have the company name, address, phone number, first/last work date, and reason for separation ready. If you select "temporary job ended" as your reason for separation, you generally won't have issues with adjudication (that's when they investigate job separations). Also important: if your benefit year is close to ending, double-check the date in your eServices account. If you're within a few weeks of that end date, the process might be different.

To directly answer your follow-up question: Yes, you'll reopen first, then file for the week including those last 3 days worked (reporting those earnings), and then you'll be back to regular weekly claims after that. Make sure you're also keeping track of your job search activities - you still need 3 per week starting the week after your last work day. So if Thursday was your last day, you need 3 job search activities for the following week.

I had my claim go into adjudication last month over a similar issue (though mine was about unsuitable pay, not hours). The adjudication process took exactly 18 days from when they notified me until I got the decision. They ended up deciding in my favor because I had good documentation. Make sure you answer your phone during this time - they'll call from a blocked/private number for the fact-finding interview. Miss that call, and you could be automatically denied!

They sent a letter through my eServices account about 4 days before the call, giving me a 4-hour window when they'd call. But I've heard from others that sometimes they just call with no warning. The adjudicator was actually really reasonable and just wanted to understand my situation. Don't be too nervous - just explain your situation clearly and have your documentation ready.

One more important thing - if you're planning to use your GI Bill for education after discharge, be aware that you generally can't receive both full-time student benefits and unemployment at the same time in Washington. You'll need to report your school attendance and any VA education benefits when filing weekly claims. Also, make sure your job search activities show you're looking for suitable work based on your military skills and experience.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I'm going to wait until April 2nd to file with Washington ESD, make sure I select UCX benefits, and have my DD-214 ready. I'll be careful about listing my platoon sergeant as my supervisor and selecting 'End of Service Contract' as my separation reason. I'm also going to check out WorkSource for their veteran services to help with my job search requirements. If my claim does get stuck in adjudication, I'll keep that Claimyr service in mind. Really appreciate all the advice - this has made the process much clearer!

I had a similarly complex situation last year (pregnancy leave that turned into a layoff), and what finally worked was contacting my state representative's office. They have dedicated staff who can reach out to ESD on your behalf. My claim was resolved within 10 days after my rep's office got involved. Might be worth a try if you're still stuck after trying the direct approach.

Good news! I just checked the ESD adjudication processing times dashboard, and they're currently processing cases from 8-10 weeks ago. So you should be coming up in their queue very soon. Here's the link if you want to check it yourself: https://esd.wa.gov/unemployment/dashboard Be prepared for a possible interview call once your case comes up for review. Have all your documentation organized and ready to discuss the timeline of your LOA, termination date, and when you became available for work again. Good luck!

Another important thing to remember is that if you're starting your job in 2 weeks, you should continue filing your weekly claims until you actually start working. You're still eligible for benefits during that waiting period as long as you're meeting all other requirements (available for work, conducting job search activities, etc.). Once you begin working, file that final claim reporting your employment as others have mentioned. This ensures you receive all benefits you're entitled to while properly closing out your claim.

Yes, technically you need to continue your three job search activities each week until you actually start working. However, if you have a definite job offer with a confirmed start date, you can request to be placed on "standby" status for those final weeks, which would exempt you from job search requirements. You'd need to call ESD to request this, though, and for just two weeks it might be simpler to just do the job search activities.