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Something nobody mentioned yet - make sure you're accurately reporting your separation reason from the previous job. If you selected "laid off" but your employer reports something different (like performance issues), that can delay your claim processing because it triggers an investigation. Double-check that your separation reason matches what your employer would say.
One more important detail: When you file the weekly claim for the week you started working, make sure you answer "Yes" to the question about whether you're still seeking work for that week IF you were still actively job searching before accepting this position. Some people mistakenly select "No" because they accepted a job, but ESD wants to know if you were available and seeking work during any portion of that week before you started working.
Wait I think I've been doing this wrong. If I accept a job offer on Monday but don't start until the following Monday, how should I answer the "looking for work" question for that week between acceptance and starting?
For the week between accepting the job and starting it, you should answer "Yes" to whether you're seeking work. Until you actually start working and earning wages, you're still considered to be seeking work for unemployment purposes. You only answer "No" when you're no longer available for work (like if you're on vacation, sick, or have actually started working).
UPDATE: Finally got this resolved! Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned below and actually got through to ESD in about 30 minutes! The agent confirmed exactly what you all said - the system had incorrectly flagged my standby claim as medical standby instead of employer-requested standby. She fixed it immediately and told me my claim should process normally now. Thanks everyone for the help and advice! For anyone else dealing with this issue, definitely worth paying to get through rather than waiting weeks for them to respond to messages.
One more important thing about OAH hearings - be sure to attend your hearing no matter what! If you miss it, you'll almost certainly lose your appeal by default. If something comes up and you absolutely can't make it, contact OAH immediately to request a postponement, but know that those are not automatically granted. Also, during the hearing, only speak when the judge asks you questions. Don't interrupt your former employer or the judge. You'll get your chance to present your side. And stick to the facts rather than emotional arguments - the judge is only concerned with whether your situation meets the legal standard for good cause to quit.
I forgot to mention - make sure you continue filing your weekly claims while waiting for your appeal hearing! Even though you're disqualified right now, if you win your appeal, they'll only pay you for weeks that you properly certified. Lots of people make this mistake and miss out on benefits they would have been entitled to after winning their appeal.
Any luck getting through? I'm dealing with something similar and wondering if I should just keep trying online or bite the bullet and call.
Finally got it figured out! After trying everything online with no luck, I ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned above. Got through to an ESD rep in about 30 minutes. Turns out there was a flag on my account from my previous employer that was preventing the reopen button from showing. The rep was able to clear it and reactivate my claim. Filed my weekly claim for this week right after the call. Such a relief!
Isabella Martin
whats the best number to call for regular unemployment? i have like 5 different ones saved in my phone and i never know which one to try
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Ava Hernandez
•The main UI Claims Center number is 800-318-6022. That's the best one to use for most unemployment issues. They're open Monday-Friday from 8am to 4pm (except holidays). If you have a specific adjudication issue, sometimes the claims center agents will give you a direct number to the adjudication department after your initial contact.
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Jacob Lewis
When I had issues last year they were actually pretty helpful once I got through. Speaking of which, does anyone know if they're hiring? Might be worth working for them if the pay is decent since I haven't found anything else yet...
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Sophia Miller
•Yes, ESD is actually hiring quite a few positions right now! They have a high turnover rate in their call centers. Check careers.wa.gov and search for Employment Security Department. The entry-level claims specialist positions start around $3,800-4,200 per month with full benefits. The training is about 6 weeks long.
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