


Ask the community...
One thing that helped me was gathering evidence that other employees had similar accommodations granted. Do you know if anyone else at your company ever received the same or similar accommodation that you requested? That could really strengthen your case with ESD by showing the company was being discriminatory specifically to you.
That's a really good point! Now that I think about it, there was someone in another department who got a similar accommodation last year. I'm still in touch with a few former coworkers - I'll ask if they'd be willing to provide statements about this. Thank you for the suggestion!
Based on what you've shared, I think you have a strong case. ESD typically considers these factors in determining if you quit or were effectively discharged: 1. Did you take all reasonable steps to preserve your employment? 2. Was the employer's action or inaction the real cause of separation? 3. Would a reasonable person in your situation with your medical constraints feel compelled to leave? The fact that your doctor specifically stated you should seek other employment if accommodations weren't possible creates a compelling argument that you had no reasonable alternative. Just make sure ESD has this documentation clearly spelled out. 8 weeks is unfortunately not unusual for complex adjudication cases, especially those involving medical issues and potential discrimination.
Thank you for laying this out so clearly. I definitely did try to preserve my employment by providing the accommodation request and giving them the chance to work with me. I guess I just need to keep being patient and make sure they have all the documentation. It's just so frustrating being in financial limbo for 8+ weeks while they decide.
One thing to watch out for - make sure you're still doing your 3 job search activities each week and documenting them properly. I've seen people get denied when applying for a new benefit year because they got sloppy with job search requirements toward the end of their previous claim. ESD sometimes reviews your job search logs when you apply for a new claim.
Oh that's good to know! Yes, I've been diligent about my job search activities. I'm using WorkSourceWA for some of them and keeping detailed notes of everything else. Really hoping something comes through before July, but planning for the worst just in case.
my neibor said you have to wait a week between claims??? is that true?? seems dum if your already looking for work
Your neighbor might be confusing the waiting week with the gap between claims. The one-week waiting period only applies to your initial claim. When transitioning from an exhausted claim to a new benefit year, you should file immediately when eligible. There's no mandatory gap, but processing the new claim might take time, which is why filing promptly is important.
This is why I always tell people to KEEP A SEPARATE BROWSER just for unemployment stuff! Don't use it for anything else. Just ESD. I have Firefox that I ONLY use for ESD and haven't had a single login issue since I started doing that in 2025. Too many cookies and trackers from other sites mess with the secure login process.
smart idea. never thought of that. gonna try it
I don't get why everyone complains about ESD so much. I filed my claim last month and got approved in like 3 days with no issues at all. Maybe y'all are just filling things out wrong? Just saying...
Wow, really helpful comment there. 🙄 Some claims trigger automatic adjudication for things totally outside our control. My separation was a standard layoff with zero complications, forms filled perfectly, and I still waited 4 months. Consider yourself LUCKY rather than superior.
quick update - did they explain what the hold up was about your claim when they called? sometimes knowing helps prevent issues on future claims
Shockingly, no! The ESD agent who called just said they were following up on the Governor's Office inquiry and would expedite my claim review. Never mentioned what the actual issues were. The approval letter just states my weekly benefit amount and eligibility period, but nothing about what caused the delay. It's maddening.
Summer Green
Here are the exact rules from ESD: 1. You must report all hours worked in your claim week, even if you haven't been paid yet 2. You must report gross earnings (before taxes/deductions) 3. If your earnings are less than your weekly benefit amount, you'll receive a partial payment 4. The formula is: Weekly benefit amount - (earnings - $5) = partial payment Also important: this final claim closes out your benefit year properly, which matters if you need to reapply in the future. And don't forget to report your new job in the "report a new job" section of eServices!
0 coins
Louisa Ramirez
•This is SUPER helpful, thank you! I didn't know about the $5 deduction thing, and I definitely wouldn't have known to report the new job separately in eServices. You probably saved me from making a mistake.
0 coins
Gael Robinson
i went thru this in january... make sure u answer YES to the "did u work" question then enter all ur info... they'll deny ur claim if ur earnings are 2 high but at least its all documented right... oh and dont 4get they count HOURS too not just money so if u worked more than like 17 hrs u might be denied anyway...
0 coins
Summer Green
•Good point about the hours. For clarity, you're disqualified if you work 40 hours or more in a week regardless of how much you earned. But for partial weeks, you can still qualify as long as you worked less than 40 hours AND earned less than your weekly benefit amount.
0 coins