Pro tip: if you ever need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about how employer contributions affect your claim, I had great luck with Claimyr helping me get through. Much better than the endless busy signals I was getting before.

This thread has been super helpful! I had no idea that employers were paying 100% of unemployment insurance costs. I always assumed it was like Social Security where both employee and employer contribute. It actually makes me feel better about filing my claim knowing that my former employer was already paying into the system specifically for situations like this. Thanks everyone for explaining how the experience rating works too - now I understand why some companies might try to contest legitimate claims.

Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently in week 3 of a "pending" status after my employer contested my layoff claim (they're saying I was fired for misconduct when I was actually part of a reduction in force). I filed my appeal 10 days ago with HR emails showing the RIF announcement and my termination letter clearly stating "layoff due to business needs." Seeing @Toot-n-Mighty's success story and all the helpful advice from @DeShawn Washington and @Aiden O'Connor about checking correspondence daily has really helped me understand what to expect. I've been religiously checking my eServices account and just found a questionnaire that was posted yesterday asking for more details about my job duties and the circumstances of my separation. The timeline variations are definitely nerve-wracking - from @Mei-Ling Chen's 3 weeks to @Sofía Rodríguez's 4+ months - but it seems like having solid documentation really makes a difference. Thanks to this community for sharing so much valuable information. It's made navigating this confusing system so much more manageable!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been going through a very similar situation - my employer is claiming I resigned when I was actually laid off as part of company-wide cost cutting measures. My status has been "disqualified" for the past 6 weeks, but after reading everyone's experiences here, I'm feeling more hopeful about filing an appeal. @Toot-n-Mighty, congratulations on getting your appeal approved! Your success story is exactly what I needed to hear. I have emails from management about the layoffs and my termination paperwork clearly states "position eliminated due to budget constraints," so hopefully that documentation will help my case like it did for others here. The advice about checking the correspondence tab daily and continuing to file weekly claims is so valuable. I had no idea about some of these nuances of the system. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community has already been incredibly helpful in understanding what to expect from this process!

Final reminder for anyone still struggling to reach Washington ESD with questions - that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier has been a lifesaver. If you need to talk to someone about your specific situation and can't get through the regular phone lines, it's worth checking out their demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ.

I've been dealing with the same confusion! Been unemployed for 3 months and kept thinking there was some secret online portal I couldn't find. It's actually kind of relieving to know that keeping your own records is the standard process. I've been using a simple Google Sheet with columns for date, company, position, contact method, and outcome - seems to work well for staying organized. The stress of thinking I was doing something wrong was honestly worse than just maintaining the log itself.

I went through a similar adjudication nightmare last year and understand your frustration completely. One thing that helped me was creating a daily call log with timestamps - not just for my own sanity, but because when I eventually got through (took about 4 weeks), the representative was able to see in their system how many times I'd attempted to call. She mentioned that multiple call attempts can sometimes flag an account for priority review, though I'm not sure if that's official policy or just her being helpful. Also, if you're really desperate to talk to someone, try calling the Paid Family Medical Leave line instead - they're separate but sometimes can transfer you or at least confirm what department your case is sitting with. The number is 1-833-717-2273. It's not guaranteed to work, but worth a shot when you're at your wit's end. Hang in there - the backpay will come once this clears!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now - been in adjudication for 2.5 weeks and can't get through to anyone! The stress is unreal, especially when you have bills piling up. I've tried calling at different times of day but always get that same automated hangup. Reading through everyone's responses here has been really helpful though. I'm going to try that Claimyr service that Zainab mentioned, and also start keeping a call log like Isaac suggested. It's somewhat comforting to know this is a common issue and that people do eventually get through it, even though the waiting is torture. Dmitry, I hope your situation gets resolved soon - keep filing those weekly claims and don't give up!

Bottom line - with 6 months of full-time work at $18/hour, you should be fine on the earnings requirement. The bigger question is whether the layoffs actually happen and if they do, making sure you file promptly and meet all the ongoing requirements.

One more thing to consider - if you do end up getting laid off, file your claim as soon as possible even if you're not sure about your eligibility. There's a waiting week in Washington, and the sooner you file, the sooner that clock starts ticking. You can always appeal or provide additional documentation if there are issues with your wage records. Also, keep all your pay stubs and employment records organized just in case you need to prove your earnings to Washington ESD.