Forgot to mention - make sure you respond to EVERYTHING they send you, even if it seems repetitive. I missed one stupid form and they used that against me in the hearing saying I was 'non-responsive' which is total BS.

my neighbor had an adjudication for almost the same thing and he showed up with all his paperwork and the judge basically dismissed the case right there because ESD made such an obvious error. sometimes these are just system glitches that a human can fix right away.

Just to clarify some misinformation in this thread: ESD does not have denial quotas. The availability question can be confusing, but it's designed to identify people with significant restrictions that would prevent them from accepting suitable work. When you appeal, focus on explaining that you misunderstood the question and provide evidence of your active job search and WorkSource participation. Approximately 60% of availability disqualification appeals are successful when the claimant can demonstrate they were actually available for work during the week in question. Remember that Washington law requires you to be available for full-time work in your customary occupation during all the usual hours and days for that type of work. Brief appointments or obligations that don't significantly restrict your availability don't need to be reported as limitations.

After I got through to ESD using Claimyr, the agent told me they can actually reactivate your benefits on the phone if it's just a simple misunderstanding about availability like this. The appeal process is more for complex situations or when you disagree with their determination about your eligibility. For single-week issues caused by accidentally answering a question wrong, getting through to a live agent is often the fastest solution. They can see your WorkSource attendance and job search activities in their system.

Just wanted to update everyone - I checked my claim this morning and it switched from Pending back to Paid! They also deposited all the missing payments from the last three weeks. I never received any communication about what the issue was or if my employer contested anything. It just resolved itself! Thank you to everyone who replied with advice and support. I'm so relieved right now.

I'd like to add something important about your case specifically - you mentioned you were a line cook whose hours were reduced after a new kitchen manager came in. Restaurant industry claims have some unique aspects because: 1. Variable schedules are common in food service, so ESD looks carefully at patterns over time 2. The industry has high turnover, so ESD has specialized experience with these claims 3. Seasonal fluctuations are considered normal in some cases Make sure you clarify that this wasn't just normal season-related scheduling but a significant change targeted at you specifically after management changes. That distinction can be important. I know the waiting is stressful, but the case you described sounds like it should ultimately be decided in your favor based on the substantial hours reduction. Just keep filing those weekly claims and documenting everything.

EVERYONE LISTEN UP!!! The real problem is ESD is deliberatly delaying claims to save money!!! My adjudicator ADMITTED this to me when they finally called!!! They make the system complicated on purpose so people give up!!!!

Update us when you get approved! I'm curious how long it takes now in 2025 vs when I did it last year

To directly address your questions: 1. Your husband must report the orientation day as work. Training is considered employment. 2. He must report based on when work is performed, not when payment is received. Here's how to handle the reporting properly: - For the week with just orientation, report the exact hours worked that day and expected earnings (even if estimated) - For subsequent weeks, report all hours worked each day, even before receiving his first paycheck - If his gross earnings for any week exceed his weekly benefit amount, he won't receive benefits for that week - Continue filing claims until he's consistently working full-time - After 4 consecutive weeks of full-time work (or 2 weeks of no benefits due to earnings), his claim will become inactive This is the safest approach to avoid overpayment issues. The ESD system tracks by work performed, not by pay received.

This happened to me last year and I was so confused about whether to report the training week!!! I reported the training and then kept claiming for 2 more weeks until my first paycheck came through. ESD actually adjusted my benefits automatically - I got partial unemployment for the week with training (just a few hours) and then no benefits for the full-time weeks. The system works pretty well when you report everything correctly!