Washington Unemployment
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ESD adjudication stuck for over a month with pending payments - what now?
I'm seriously stressed out right now. My UI claim has been in "Adjudication in progress" for over a month with no movement whatsoever. Every weekly payment says "pending" and I haven't received a single dollar since filing. My savings are practically gone at this point. \n\nI've tried calling ESD probably 30+ times but either get disconnected or told the wait time is too long. I've sent messages through eServices but haven't gotten any responses. Do they EVER look at those?\n\nI wasn't even told why I'm in adjudication! There's no issue listed on my account or any indication of what the problem might be. Could it be because I quit my last job? I did explain that the working conditions became unsafe after management changes.\n\nHas anyone dealt with this kind of delay recently? What worked to get things moving? I'll literally try anything at this point because rent is due next week and I'm panicking.
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ESD approved my claim after medical leave termination - am I safe from overpayment now?
I've got an unusual situation with my unemployment claim that's keeping me up at night. Back in January, I was on an approved medical leave from my customer service job at a large healthcare call center. My doctor recommended an additional 3 weeks beyond my originally approved return date, but when I told my employer I needed more time, they gave me an ultimatum: either return immediately or resign. I explained that I physically couldn't return yet based on medical advice, but I wasn't going to resign. They ended up terminating me for "failure to return from leave" and sent me an official termination letter. I filed for unemployment and indicated I was terminated for performance reasons (since technically I couldn't "perform" the job functions due to my medical condition). ESD approved my claim and my determination letter stated my former employer had 30 days to appeal. That period has now passed with no appeal from them. My question is: Am I in the clear now? Or could ESD come back months or even years later demanding I repay all benefits as an overpayment? I'm terrified of building my budget around these payments only to get hit with a huge repayment demand later. I'm getting about $825/week and really need it while job hunting, but I'm nervous about spending it fully. Has anyone had experience with this type of situation?
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Anybody else think its RIDICULOUS that they can fire ppl for medical reasons and then argue against unemployment?? The system is totally rigged against workers!!! My cousin went thru something similar and had to fight for months to get benefits even tho she had cancer treatments!!!
Agreed! The way employers can just discard employees when they have health issues is awful. Workers have so few protections in practice, regardless of what the laws claim. Then they fight your unemployment as if you had a choice in the matter!
To be fair, there are FMLA protections and ADA accommodations that should help in these situations, but they're often poorly implemented or employers find loopholes. For unemployment purposes though, being unable to work due to medical reasons is actually a tricky area because technically you need to be able and available for work to qualify for UI. That's why documentation and timing are so important.
One important distinction: There's a difference between being terminated because you were on approved medical leave versus being disqualified because you're currently unable to work due to medical conditions. If you were terminated for taking medical leave but are NOW able to work, that's generally covered by UI. If you're currently unable to work due to ongoing medical issues, that's typically not covered by regular UI (might need to look into disability instead). Based on your description, it sounds like you fall into the first category - you were terminated for taking leave, but are currently able to work. That's likely why your claim was approved. Just make sure when you answer the weekly claim questions about being able and available, you're answering based on your CURRENT status, not your status when you were terminated.
You've hit the nail on the head. I was terminated for needing extended leave, but I'm fully recovered now and able to work. I've been answering the weekly claim questions based on my current ability to work, which is 100%. This is exactly my situation - terminated for past medical leave but currently able and available for work.
ESD says payment issued but nothing in my bank account yet - normal delay?
Just checked my ESD eServices account and it shows my UI payment was processed today, but I've checked my bank account three times and there's nothing there! I'm starting to get nervous because rent is due in 4 days and I need that $748 to cover it. The payment status says 'paid' with today's date. This is my third weekly claim payment - the first two showed up in my account same day they were processed. Is there normally a delay sometimes or should I be worried something's wrong? Anyone else experience random delays with their unemployment direct deposits?
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This is usually just a timing issue. ESD's payment system and the banking ACH transfer system don't always sync up perfectly. Here's what's happening behind the scenes: - ESD marks your payment as "paid" in their system when they initiate the transfer - The payment then goes through the ACH (Automated Clearing House) network - Depending on when ESD's daily batch processing occurs, your payment might not actually hit the ACH system until late in the day - If the ACH transfer is initiated after your bank's daily processing cutoff (often around 3-5pm), it won't show up until the next business day I work in financial services and see this confusion all the time. 99% of the time, your money will show up within 1-2 business days after ESD marks it paid. The first two might have shown up same-day because they were processed earlier in ESD's batch cycle. If it doesn't appear by Thursday, then you should contact ESD to make sure they have the correct banking information on file.
This makes perfect sense! Thank you for explaining the process so clearly. I'll wait a couple days before getting too worried.
Can I get ESD benefits after quitting due to workplace harassment and extended home assignment?
Hey everyone, I'm in a tricky situation with my previous employer and wondering if I can qualify for unemployment. I worked at a tech company for 3 years and filed a workplace harassment complaint against my manager about 3 months ago. After filing the complaint, they immediately put me on 'home assignment' (still employed but told not to come in). For over 2 months, I heard NOTHING from HR or management about my status or when I could return. No updates, no timeline, nothing. They were still paying me, but the silence was unbearable. I eventually quit because I was pretty sure they were building a case to fire me. I'm actively looking for a new job now, but I'm worried about finances in the meantime. Would ESD consider this a valid reason to quit? Does the harassment complaint and being left on home assignment for so long count as "good cause"? I've heard ESD is strict about voluntary quits, but this wasn't exactly normal circumstances. Anyone been through something similar?
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Thank you all for the helpful advice! I'm going to file my initial claim tomorrow and make sure I carefully document everything about the harassment complaint, the extended home assignment with no communication, and my attempts to get updates. Based on your suggestions, I'll: 1. Select "quit" but indicate employer actions made continued work impossible 2. Include documentation of all my attempts to resolve the situation 3. Be prepared for a possible appeal if denied initially 4. Consider using Claimyr if I need to speak with an actual person at ESD I'll update this thread once I hear anything about my claim. Wish me luck!
Good luck!!!! The waiting is the WORST part. My claim took 9 weeks from start to finish with the appeal. Just keep job searching while you wait cause they'll ask for all your job search logs even during the waiting period!
One final piece of advice - when you do get to the adjudication interview (they'll schedule a phone call), be very careful about how you explain your decision to quit. Avoid saying things like "I thought they were going to fire me" as that can be interpreted as quitting to avoid discharge, which usually isn't considered good cause. Instead, focus on: 1. The harassment you experienced 2. The company's failure to provide a timeline for investigation resolution 3. The professional limbo affecting your career progression 4. The emotional/psychological impact of being isolated without communication Stick to facts, dates, and documented attempts to resolve the situation. Good luck!
This is incredibly helpful advice, thank you! You're right that saying "I thought they'd fire me" doesn't sound like good cause. I'll focus on how the extended limbo with no communication was essentially making it impossible to continue employment in any meaningful way. I'll practice explaining my situation clearly before the interview.
Will my Social Security reduce my ESD weekly benefit amount? Just got laid off
I'm 63 and was working part-time at a medical office until they downsized yesterday. I've been receiving Social Security benefits for about 2 years while working. Now I'm trying to figure out my unemployment situation. Does anyone know if my Social Security payments will reduce my weekly unemployment benefit amount from ESD? I worked enough hours to qualify for unemployment, but I'm worried they'll either deny me completely or drastically reduce my benefit because of the SS income. Has anyone dealt with this situation recently? I need to know before I submit my application because I don't want to mess anything up.
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did u work enough hours to qualify for unemployment??? thats the real question!!!
Yes, I definitely worked enough hours in my base year to qualify. I was working 25-30 hours per week consistently for the last two years at the medical office before they downsized. That's not what I'm worried about - it was specifically how the Social Security might impact the benefit amount.
Just to summarize what everyone's been saying: 1. Your Social Security won't reduce your ESD unemployment benefits (regardless of what some confused adjudicators might think) 2. Your unemployment benefits might affect your Social Security if you're under full retirement age and exceed the annual earnings limit 3. Answer all application questions honestly - if they ask about retirement income, list your Social Security 4. If they incorrectly reduce your WBA because of Social Security, appeal immediately Hope this helps, and good luck with your claim!
Thank you for this perfect summary! I feel much more prepared to file my claim now. I appreciate everyone's help!
Kristin Frank
That's great news! Make sure to have your phone nearby during business hours so you don't miss their call. Adjudicators typically only make 1-2 attempts to reach you before making a determination based on the information they have. If you miss their call, they should leave a voicemail with a direct callback number.
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Seraphina Delan
Thank you - I'll keep my phone with me at all times. I really appreciate everyone's help here!
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