Something important to note - since you mentioned this is a suspension rather than a traditional layoff, your case might have additional complications. ESD often treats suspensions differently depending on the reason. If the suspension is for misconduct, you might be disqualified. But if it's due to a labor dispute or union-related issue where you're not at fault, you should be eligible. Make sure you've clearly documented the nature of the suspension. The adjudicator will likely contact both you and your employer to get statements, which is part of why it takes so long. The union connection adds another layer of complexity they need to investigate. As for the document upload question - I work with unemployment cases regularly, and those prompts DO stay in the system even after successful upload. It's just poorly designed UI. As long as you can see your document in the "Uploaded Documents" section, you're fine.

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know that I took the advice to call ESD directly. After being unable to get through for three days, I tried the Claimyr service mentioned above. Got through to a real person in about 35 minutes! The agent told me my claim was actually just waiting for one final verification from my employer, who hadn't responded to their requests. They're sending another request and said if my employer doesn't respond within 48 hours, they'll make a determination based on the information they already have. Fingers crossed this gets resolved soon! Thanks for all the help.

Great point about the contact info. I still have mail forwarding set up from my WA address, but I should make sure they have my current direct address and phone number from the start.

Thanks everyone for the advice! Sounds like I should just file online and be prepared for the wait. I'll make sure I have all my documentation ready, explain my out-of-state situation clearly, and maybe try that Claimyr service if I get stuck in adjudication. Definitely saved me from wasting money on a flight!

Also, in case it helps ease your stress a little - if you win your appeal, you will receive all back payments for the weeks you've been claiming. While it doesn't help with immediate bills, you will eventually get the full amount you're entitled to if the judge rules in your favor. I'd recommend checking your appeal status on the OAH portal as well: https://www.oah.wa.gov/ They have a separate system from ESD where you can sometimes see updates on your case status.

One important thing to remember is that if your employer doesn't show up for the hearing (which happens fairly often), that significantly increases your chances of winning. But don't count on that - still be fully prepared. Also, make sure you understand exactly why ESD denied your claim. In your case, it sounds like they believe you voluntarily quit rather than being laid off. You'll need to focus specifically on proving that aspect of your case with documentation or witness statements if possible.

my sister had this happen and she called the agency and they fixed it for her maybe try calling them too? also idk but i think your supposed to call the office not use the automated phone thing for special circumstances like zero hours but im not positive about that

UPDATE: My status finally changed from "processing IVR" to "paid" this morning! So it took about 2.5 days instead of the usual 1-2 days. Thanks everyone for the reassurance that I did it right. For anyone else in a similar situation with on-call or variable hours, just answer truthfully about whether you worked actual hours that week, and be patient with the processing time.

I HATE how they keep changing the rules!!! During covid we had all these extensions and now NOTHING?? I exhausted my benefits in January and have been living on credit cards since then. The whole system is designed to force us to take garbage jobs that don't even pay enough to cover rent. What happened to all the BILLIONS in the unemployment trust fund?? They just don't want to pay it out!!!

One other thing to consider - make sure you file your final weekly claim even after receiving the notice that your benefits are exhausting. Sometimes people miss out on their final week of benefits because they stop filing when they get the exhaustion notice. Also, if you do decide to pursue training benefits, you'll need to act fast. The approval process can take several weeks, and ideally, you want that approval before your regular UI ends. WorkSource can help with the training program approval process as well.

anyone else think its crazy they can just TAKE your money without even properly notifying you first?? The system is rigged against us!

Make sure to update us on how this gets resolved! These situations are unfortunately common and it helps others to know what worked for you.

One thing nobody mentioned - if your new job doesn't work out within the year, you can restart your claim without filing a whole new application. Just log back in and start filing weekly claims again. That happened to me when a contract job suddenly ended after 2 months. Made things much easier!

Quick update for you - ESD recently announced they're working through a backlog of adjudications from December/January. If yours started around that time, that might explain the delay. They've apparently hired additional staff to address the backlog, so hopefully you'll see movement soon. Just keep checking your account for updates.

Did you ever apply for unemployment before 2025? I'm on my third claim (seasonal worker) and I've noticed the spring/summer claims always take FOREVER to process compared to winter ones. Something about their workload being higher certain times of year. Just another possibility why yours is taking so long.

Just to give you an update on the process - if you do contact the Governor's office, they'll likely ask you to complete a privacy release form so they can legally inquire about your specific claim. Have your claim ID, contact information, and a brief timeline of your efforts ready. They typically respond within 3-5 business days with either a direct response or confirmation they've forwarded it to ESD with priority status.

are u sure u selected alternate year? sometimes the system just does that automatically. happened to me in january

Just checking back - were you able to get this resolved? For anyone else with this issue, here's a quick explanation of the base years: If you applied in April 2025: - Regular base year: January-December 2024 - Alternate base year: April 2024-March 2025 So if most of your work hours were in early 2024, the regular base year would be better. If most were more recent, alternate might be better. The system should check both automatically, but sometimes it doesn't.

I HATE how ESD makes this so confusing! My sister got hit with a $2,100 overpayment because she reported when she got PAID instead of when she WORKED. The system should be more clear about this! Make sure you're super accurate with your hours. I even took screenshots of my timesheets and saved them in case ESD questioned me later. For your final claim, there's a question that asks if you've returned to work full-time - make sure to say YES to that one.

Congrats on the new job! One thing to add - when you say you "started a job on 2/3" - if that was Feb 3, 2025, that was a Monday, not a Saturday. ESD weeks run Sunday-Saturday, so keep that in mind when dividing up your hours worked if you're submitting claims for multiple weeks.