Remember that the appeal hearing is your chance to tell your side of the story. Don't let Washington ESD's initial decision discourage you - many appeals succeed when people actually fight them.

Good luck with your appeal! It sounds like you have a strong case since you were told it was budget cuts but they're now claiming misconduct. That inconsistency alone should help you. I went through something similar last year - the key is staying calm and sticking to your timeline of events. Document everything you can remember about when they told you it was layoffs vs when the misconduct claim appeared. The hearing officers really do try to be fair, so don't get intimidated by the process.

I'm dealing with this same confusing question right now! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. It sounds like the consensus is that they're asking about benefits during your current, continuous period of unemployment - not historical benefits from years ago or previous unrelated unemployment spells. For those of us filing for the first time during our current unemployment period, the answer would simply be "no." I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences, especially those who actually spoke with Washington ESD agents to get official clarification. The tip about using the comments section to explain your situation if you're unsure is brilliant too. Thanks for making this stressful process a little more manageable!

I just went through this exact same confusion a few weeks ago! The wording of that question really threw me off too - it does seem like a circular question when you're applying FOR benefits. After reading through everyone's explanations here, I finally understand they're asking about your current unemployment spell specifically. In my case, I had been unemployed for about 6 weeks before I finally got around to filing my claim, so during those 6 weeks I obviously hadn't collected any benefits yet since I hadn't applied. So my answer was "no." But if someone had been getting benefits earlier in their current unemployment period and then had to file again for some reason, they'd need to report those. The key is really focusing on "during your unemployment period" meaning THIS current stretch of being unemployed. Thanks everyone for breaking this down - Washington ESD really needs to work on their form wording!

I'm actually facing a very similar situation right now! My company is doing the exact same thing - eliminating all W2 positions and trying to convert everyone to 1099. I've been reading through all these responses and they're giving me hope that I'll qualify for benefits too. One thing I wanted to add that might help you - when I was researching this, I found that Washington state specifically considers the loss of employee benefits to be a "substantial change in working conditions." The fact that you're losing healthcare, PTO, and guaranteed hours should definitely qualify you. I'm planning to file my claim next week when the layoffs officially happen. Based on what everyone here is saying, I'm going to make sure to emphasize that my W2 position is being eliminated entirely, not that I'm refusing work. The 1099 offer is essentially a completely different job with the same company. Keep us posted on how your claim goes! It sounds like you have a really strong case based on all the advice here.

I'm a newly licensed therapist and this is exactly the kind of situation I'm terrified of encountering as I start my career. Thank you so much for posting this question and to everyone who's shared their experiences - it's incredibly valuable information. From what I'm reading, it sounds like you have a very strong case for unemployment benefits. The consensus seems clear that converting from W2 employee to 1099 contractor represents a fundamental change in your employment relationship, not just a minor adjustment. One thing I wanted to ask - have you considered reaching out to any professional therapy associations for guidance? I know the Washington State Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (WSAMFT) sometimes provides resources for members dealing with employment issues. They might have additional insights or even be tracking this trend of healthcare employers converting therapists to contractors. Also, I'm curious if your employer provided any written notice about these changes? In my coursework, we learned that significant changes to employment terms often require proper notice, and documentation of how they communicated this decision could be helpful for your unemployment claim. Best of luck with your filing! Based on all the advice here, it really sounds like you're well-positioned to receive benefits while you search for a proper W2 position.

File online if possible - it's faster than calling and you don't have to wait on hold. The online system is available 24/7 too so you can do it right now if you want.

Just wanted to follow up and say I successfully filed my claim online about an hour ago! The process was actually much easier than I expected - took maybe 20 minutes to complete. Now I just need to wait for them to process it and start doing my weekly claims. Really appreciate everyone's advice and encouragement. For anyone else in a similar situation, don't wait like I did - just file as soon as you can!

For anyone dealing with Washington ESD questions or issues, I had great success using Claimyr to actually get through to a human. Their service connects you directly with Washington ESD agents without having to deal with busy signals and long hold times. Really saved me a lot of frustration when I needed to clarify some things about my claim.

I went through a similar situation last year and can tell you that you're handling this exactly right! The fact that you're reporting your part-time earnings shows you're following the rules. Washington ESD actually has a pretty clear formula - as long as your weekly earnings don't exceed your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you can still receive partial benefits. I was doing DoorDash while collecting unemployment and never had any issues because I reported everything accurately. The system is designed to encourage people to work part-time while transitioning back to full employment. Keep doing what you're doing and don't stress about it - honest reporting is all they ask for!