I went through something similar about 8 months ago - got terminated for tardiness issues that were mostly due to childcare complications when my babysitter would cancel last minute. I was typically 15-20 minutes late maybe once or twice a week. Washington ESD approved my claim after about 3 weeks of adjudication. During the phone interview, they asked detailed questions about why I was late and whether I had tried to resolve the issues. I explained the childcare situation and that I had been actively looking for more reliable care. The key thing that seemed to help was showing that the tardiness wasn't intentional or due to negligence on my part. Your bus delays and personal issues sound like legitimate circumstances that were beyond your control. Definitely file your claim and don't get discouraged if it takes a few weeks - the back pay will cover all the weeks you're eligible for once approved.

I went through a very similar situation about 6 months ago - got fired for attendance issues that were mostly due to public transit delays and some family medical emergencies I was dealing with. I was usually about 10-20 minutes late a few times per month, nothing excessive. Washington ESD approved my claim after about 2.5 weeks of review. The adjudicator I spoke with during the phone interview was really understanding when I explained that the tardiness was due to circumstances largely outside my control. She asked if I had communicated with my employer about the transportation issues and if I had tried to find solutions, which I had. The key things that seemed to help my case were: 1) The tardiness wasn't extreme (not hours late), 2) There were legitimate external factors causing it, and 3) I had been a good employee otherwise. Your situation with bus delays and personal issues sounds very similar to mine. Definitely file your claim right away - even if your employer contests it, Washington ESD will give you a fair hearing to explain your side. Don't let the stress get to you too much, most people in situations like ours do get approved once they can tell their story.

This thread was super helpful. I was starting to panic thinking I did something wrong. Nice to know it was just system issues affecting everyone.

I'm having the same issue and this thread is so reassuring! I was freaking out thinking I was going to lose my benefits. Trying to file my weekly claim now that it seems like the system is working again. Has anyone else noticed the Washington ESD website gets slower on Fridays when everyone is trying to file at once?

My cousins worked at Boeing and he had some issue with his back and couldn't work for like 3 months. He said the IAM disability was actually pretty decent for that. Got checks pretty quickly without much hassle. But yeah the family stuff is bad. Good luck with the baby!

As someone who went through this same situation when I started at Boeing IAM two years ago, I totally get your frustration! The family leave benefits are definitely the weak spot compared to state PFML. One thing that might help - you can potentially supplement the 5 days paid parental leave with vacation time and unpaid FMLA if you qualify. Also, if your partner works somewhere with state PFML coverage, they can take the full 12 weeks for bonding leave. It's not ideal having to navigate different systems, but there are ways to make it work. Congrats on the upcoming baby!

Not yet - it's been 5 business days since the hearing and 3 days since the status changed to completed. Based on everyone's comments, I'm going to wait until next week before I start calling. Thanks for checking back!

I went through this same anxiety-inducing wait last year! The "completed" status is actually misleading because it just means the hearing transcript is finished, not that your decision is ready. In my experience, the actual decision letter took about 8 business days to arrive after the status changed to completed. The decision will be a detailed document (mine was 12 pages) that includes the judge's findings and reasoning, not just a simple win/lose notification. Hang in there - I know the waiting is brutal when you're worried about rent, but you should have your answer soon!

Just want to add that if you're close to the 680 hour requirement, you might want to wait a bit before filing if you're still working. Sometimes waiting another month or two can put you over the threshold if your base period shifts.

This has been such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - working part-time and worried about my eligibility. One thing I wanted to add is that I found it really helpful to create a simple spreadsheet to track my hours and wages by quarter. It made it much easier to see if I was meeting the requirements rather than trying to do all the math in my head. For anyone who's still unsure about their eligibility, I'd definitely recommend using that calculator on the Washington ESD website that was mentioned earlier, and don't be afraid to call them if you need clarification on your specific situation.