I'm a former case manager who worked with DV survivors on benefits issues. Here's what I recommend: 1. Contact the OAH clerk ASAP and ask about submitting additional evidence for your good cause determination - specifically your protection order and any DV services documentation. 2. For the actual appeal, Washington state law (RCW 50.20.050(2)(b)(iv)) specifically protects people who leave work due to domestic violence situations. Make sure your appeal cites this specific law. 3. As for the hostile work environment claim, that's covered under RCW 50.20.050(2)(b)(iii), but you'll need to demonstrate that the conditions were so intolerable that a reasonable person would leave. Your documentation of unpaid overtime and verbal abuse will be crucial. Hang in there - this process is frustrating but there are protections built into the law for situations exactly like yours.

One thing I learned from my experience - judges want to see that you made EVERY possible effort to resolve issues before quitting. For your hostile work environment claim, be prepared to answer these specific questions: 1. What specific actions did you take to report/resolve the issues? (emails, meetings, etc.) 2. What specific response did you receive? 3. Why was continuing to work there impossible/unreasonable? The more specific examples you can provide, the better. They're looking for concrete reasons, not just general statements about a hostile environment.

Just wondering, did u work out of state at all in the last 18 months? My claim said invalid when i had wages in Oregon and Washington, had to file a combined wage claim or whatever its called

Just checking back - were you able to contact ESD and get this resolved? Sometimes the 'Invalid' status can also appear if there's an identity verification issue, so if providing wage documentation doesn't solve it, that might be the next thing to check.

The exact same thing happened to my cousin a few weeks ago. She got paid without any letter, called ESD (took forever to get through), and they told her the payment was correct but the letter generation system was backlogged. Apparently they prioritize getting people paid over sending the paperwork, which makes sense if you think about it. But they also told her to keep checking her online correspondence inbox because sometimes they only send electronic notifications now instead of paper mail.

Quick update! After reading through everyone's experiences here, my suggestion would be to wait about 5 business days to see if the letter arrives. If it doesn't, definitely contact ESD for confirmation. What's important is that you have documentation of the decision in case there are any issues later. The fact you received payment is a very positive sign, though. In my 15+ years working with unemployment systems (as a claimant and later helping others), I've rarely seen cases where payment was issued incorrectly ahead of a decision.

Just my two cents but absolutely file for benefits right away. Don't wait and don't let embarrassment stop you. My neighbor works for ESD (not giving advice just sharing what I've heard) and says that most people who are fired for social media stuff DO qualify unless they were directly bad-mouthing the company or sharing confidential info. Your case sounds more like a personality conflict than actual misconduct.

One more thing - if your claim does go to adjudication, make sure you respond to ALL communication from ESD immediately. Missing a deadline or failing to provide requested information is the fastest way to get denied. Set up eServices alerts so you don't miss anything important. And if you need to, use the ESD secure message system to provide additional context about the situation.

Anyone seen their payment status change from "processing" to "pending"? Mine just switched and I'm not sure if that's good or bad...

UPDATE: Got through to ESD this morning! The "Ability Issue" was because I answered a question wrong on my initial application about being able to work. The rep cleared it on the spot and said my payments should process in 24-48 hours. She also said they're seeing a lot of minor issues like this holding up claims. If you're stuck in processing, definitely try to get through to a rep!