My sister had this problem and she just brought her kid to interviews anyway. Some employers were actually impressed by her dedication lol. But I get that's not always possible depending on your kid's age and temperament.

I work for a non-profit that helps with employment barriers, and childcare is definitely one of the biggest issues we see. Here's what I recommend: 1. Apply for Working Connections Child Care through DSHS immediately 2. Contact your local Early Learning Coalition for emergency assistance 3. Ask about the Childcare Aware referral network for temporary options 4. Check if you qualify for Head Start/Early Head Start (if your child is the right age) 5. Document all childcare barriers in your ESD weekly claims - be specific about how it's affecting your job search 6. Attend WorkSource workshops that offer childcare (as someone mentioned) 7. Some churches and community organizations offer free childcare for job seekers - call 211 to find these Most importantly, make sure you're documenting all your efforts to find childcare solutions in your ESD weekly claim notes. This protects you if they question your availability for work.

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now! Here's what I'm doing: 1) Got a free 30-minute consultation with an employment attorney who specializes in UI cases 2) Filed a complaint with the state ombudsman office 3) Called my state representative's office (they assigned me a caseworker) 4) Sent a written statement to ESD explaining the timeline with proof of my employment during those 876 days So far the most helpful has been my state rep's office. Their caseworker has direct contacts at ESD management level and can sometimes get things fixed that normal channels can't. Honestly, I think ESD's systems are just broken. They're treating administrative issues like fraud cases because their ancient computer system can't tell the difference.

One more critical thing - if you decide to go the judicial review route, you must file within 30 days of receiving the Commissioner's decision! That deadline is absolute. The court filing requires: 1. A petition for review that names "Commissioner of the Employment Security Department" as respondent 2. Filing fees (around $240 but you can request a fee waiver if low income) 3. Serving a copy to both the Commissioner's office and Attorney General If you miss the 30-day window, you lose your right to judicial review forever. The court can reverse ESD's decision if they find it was legally incorrect or not supported by substantial evidence. Personally, I'd pursue both the pandemic waiver AND prep for judicial review as a backup plan.

If anyone is having trouble reaching ESD for questions about this or other claim issues, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com). After trying for days to get through on my own, they got me connected to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 When I finished my last claim after getting hired, I had a question about reporting a signing bonus and needed to talk to someone. Claimyr was definitely worth it to get a clear answer directly from ESD.

Just to clarify an important point that people sometimes get confused about: You need to report any hours worked AND earnings for the WEEK OF WORK, not when you get paid. So if you work Monday-Friday but don't get your first paycheck for two weeks, you still need to report those hours and estimated earnings on your claim for the week you actually performed the work. Also, if you have any pending issues on your claim, make sure to continue checking your ESD account for a few weeks after you stop claiming, as they might still need information from you to resolve those issues.

For everyone's information, here's how the ESD appeal process actually works behind the scenes: 1. The judge makes a verbal decision at your hearing 2. They write up the official decision (takes 1-2 days) 3. The decision gets sent to ESD for processing (1-3 days) 4. ESD updates payment status for affected weeks (1-2 days) 5. FINALLY they update the appeal status in the system (up to 2 weeks) So the fact that your payments are already showing 'paid' means you're at step 4, which is great! The system showing 'appeal in progress' just means they haven't done the final administrative update yet. As long as you continue meeting your weekly requirements going forward, you shouldn't have any issues with future claims.

MAKE SURE you keep doing your job search activities even while waiting for everything to update!!! I know someone who thought winning their appeal meant they didn't have to do job search for a while (no idea why they thought that) and they got disqualified all over again for a completely different reason. Don't give ESD any excuse!

my brother got his contractor license while on unemployment last year and he said it was fine because he was still applying to jobs. but when he started his first project he told esd and they reduced his weekly amount. i think its all about being honest with them

One other important consideration: if you're planning to use the Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP) through WorkSource, you need to apply for that specifically. It allows you to work full-time on your business while receiving unemployment, but you must be accepted into the program first. Not everyone qualifies, but it's worth looking into if you're serious about starting your construction business. The program includes training and resources for new business owners as well.

hey i just got thru to esd this morning! try this: call the main number but then press 2 for spanish (even if u dont speak it) then 0 right away. got me to a person in like 15 mins and they spoke english anyway lol

UPDATE: I tried the Spanish line trick and it actually worked!!! Got through to someone after about 20 minutes on hold. They said my adjudication was waiting on employer verification and they sent a follow-up request. Should be resolved within 7-10 days. THANK YOU everyone for all the suggestions!!!

I think everyone is missing something important here. If your bar SOLD rather than just closed, you might qualify for different treatment. When I got laid off because my company was acquired, I had to provide additional documentation about the sale. Did your employer provide any documentation or separation letter explaining the sale? You should upload that if you have it. Also, make sure you're marking your reason for separation correctly - it should be "Business Closed or Sold" NOT "Laid Off Due to Lack of Work" - they're different categories in ESD's system and it affects how they process your claim.

You can't edit your initial claim reason yourself, but you can upload a statement clarifying the correct reason through your ESD account. Go to your dashboard, click on "Upload a Document" and select "Provide Additional Information." Explain that you mistakenly selected "Laid Off" when the correct reason is "Business Sold." Include any documentation you have from your employer about the sale/closure. This might actually help speed up your adjudication since you're proactively addressing what they're likely trying to verify.

When I got my new job last month I kept filing until I got my first paycheck. Made sure to report all my hours worked even though I wasn't paid yet. I think my last benefit payment was reduced because of the hours, but I still got something since I wasn't full time right away. Just be super honest about the hours - they crosscheck with employers eventually.

For context on adjudication timing: ESD currently has a significant backlog of claims requiring adjudication. The standard timeframe is 4-6 weeks, but can extend to 8-10 weeks during periods of high volume. The adjudicator reviews issues that could affect your eligibility, such as job separation circumstances, availability for work, or potential earnings discrepancies. Regarding your new employment: Continue filing weekly claims until you are working full-time hours (35+ per week). Report all hours worked in the week they are worked, regardless of when payment is received. Your benefits will be reduced according to your reported hours using a specific formula. Once you're working full-time, you can simply stop filing weekly claims - no need to formally close your claim. If you need to verify exactly what issue is being adjudicated, you'll need to speak with an ESD representative. Written correspondence about adjudication issues should appear in your eServices account under Notices/Letters.

Yes, Claimyr does have a fee, but it was worth it considering I was about to miss another rent payment. They basically hold your place in line and call you when they have an ESD agent on the phone. Took about 2 hours total instead of days of redialing. The video on their site explains it better than I can. With how backed up ESD is right now, it was the only way I could actually reach a human.

Just to clarify some points here: 1. The second job separation form doesn't reset your place in line completely. Your claim has already been in adjudication, and this is part of that process. 2. When you submit the new form, it goes directly to the adjudicator handling your case, not back to initial processing. 3. Continue filing weekly claims as normal - this is critical for receiving all back payments if approved. 4. The timeframe varies, but currently ESD is taking 8-12 weeks for complex adjudication cases. When you see activity like being asked for additional information, that's actually a good sign that your claim is being actively worked on rather than sitting in a queue. 5. Be extremely detailed and precise in the new form, especially regarding your reason for job separation, last day worked, and any severance or final pay received.

Once your claim is approved, check if you're eligible for the waiting week waiver. Normally there's a one-week waiting period before benefits begin, but depending on your circumstances and when you filed, that waiting week might be waived. Also, make sure you understand the job search requirements going forward - currently it's 3 job search activities per week that you need to document. The WorkSource workshops count as activities and can be done online. Staying on top of these requirements will prevent any interruptions once your benefits start flowing.

I've been dutifully reporting my 3 job search activities every week even though no payments were coming through. Didn't want to fall behind on that requirement in case they eventually approved my claim. I've been doing a mix of applications and WorkSource workshops. Just hoping they approve me and release all those back payments soon - I'm down to my last $43 and rent is due next week.