One more thing - if the Commissioner does grant a new hearing, you'll receive a Notice of Hearing with the date, time, and instructions. Make sure you don't miss the deadline to submit any new evidence before the hearing. There's usually a cutoff date for both parties to submit documents, and anything submitted after that might not be considered. In the meantime, keep doing your weekly claims and job search activities as required. The last thing you want is to be disqualified for some unrelated reason while fighting this battle.

I'm in a similar situation right now - employer missed their hearing and now filed a petition for review claiming their rep had COVID. Been waiting 3 weeks for the Commissioner's decision and it's nerve-wracking! One thing I learned from calling the Commissioner's Review Office directly (took forever to get through) is that they review petitions in the order received, so if your employer just filed, you might be waiting a month or more for a decision. The good news is benefits definitely continue during this time. I also found out that even if they grant a new hearing, the burden of proof is still on the employer to show misconduct. Since they already had their chance and didn't show up, some Commissioners view that as showing they don't have a strong case. Fingers crossed for both of us!

Thank you everyone for all the information! Based on all your advice, I'm going to: 1. Apply for CAT first and continue job searches until I get written approval 2. Make sure I have documentation showing nursing is in-demand 3. Wait until I have CAT approval before starting any classes 4. Then apply for the Training Benefits extension 5. Keep detailed records of all communication with ESD I'll update this thread when I have news about my application process in case it helps others.

I'm planning to apply for the Training Benefits Program for a cybersecurity certification program starting this fall. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - especially the distinction between CAT and Training Benefits that Alice explained. One question I haven't seen addressed: does anyone know if there's a limit to how many times you can use the Training Benefits Program? I used regular unemployment benefits about 3 years ago for a different layoff, but this would be my first time applying for any training programs through ESD. Also, for those who got approved - did you need to submit quarterly progress reports or just when ESD requested them? Want to make sure I'm prepared for all the ongoing requirements.

If anyone is still having trouble reaching Washington ESD about severance questions, I used Claimyr a few weeks ago and finally got my questions answered. Their video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ shows exactly how it works. Saved me so much time and frustration.

Just went through this exact situation myself! Got laid off in March with a $6,000 severance paid over 3 months. Washington ESD was actually pretty straightforward about it - you're definitely eligible for unemployment benefits. The severance gets reported as "other income" each week you receive it, not as wages. So if your weekly UI benefit is $500 and you get $500 in severance that week, you'd get $0 from unemployment but you're still in the system. The weeks where your severance is less than your benefit amount, you get the difference. Just make sure to report it accurately on every weekly claim - they will catch unreported income eventually through tax cross-referencing. Good luck with your claim!

I'm going through something really similar right now - my employer cut my position from full-time to part-time last month, which reduced my hours by almost 40%. They said it was "budget constraints" but then hired someone new at entry level the following week. The work environment has become really tense since I complained about it to my supervisor. I haven't quit yet but I'm seriously considering it. Reading through all these responses is really helpful - it sounds like documentation is absolutely critical. I've been saving emails and taking screenshots of my schedule changes. Has anyone had success with claims involving hour reductions rather than pay cuts? I'm wondering if the same "good cause quit" rules apply when it's hours instead of hourly rate. Also, for those who went through adjudication - did ESD contact your employer before or after they interviewed you? I'm worried about potential retaliation if my boss finds out I'm even considering filing for unemployment.

I'm really sorry you're going through this - the combination of demotion, pay cut, and hostile treatment sounds awful. Based on what others have shared here, your 25% pay reduction definitely meets the threshold for "good cause quit" under Washington law. A few things to consider as you prepare your claim: 1. Document the timeline carefully - when the demotion happened, when the hostile treatment started, when you tried to resolve it with HR 2. Calculate your exact pay reduction percentage and gather pay stubs from before and after 3. Keep any witnesses' contact info handy in case ESD wants to verify your account The adjudication process sounds intimidating but several people here got approved with similar situations. The key seems to be showing you tried to work with your employer before quitting and that any reasonable person would have done the same. Have you considered filing sooner rather than later? Even if it takes weeks to get through adjudication, at least you'll have your claim in the system and can start the process. The job search requirement applies from when you file, so there's no benefit to waiting. Wishing you the best with this - dealing with mortgage payments while job hunting is incredibly stressful.

Have you tried tweeting at Washington ESD? Sometimes social media pressure gets faster responses.

I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation! Been trying to reach Washington ESD for weeks about my claim that's been stuck in "pending" status. The phone system is completely broken - either busy signals or getting disconnected after hours on hold. I've tried calling at different times, using the callback request feature, even visited a local WorkSource office but they said they can't directly help with claim issues. It's incredibly stressful when you're depending on these benefits to pay rent and bills. Really considering trying one of those callback services people mentioned here since the free methods aren't working. Has anyone had luck with contacting state representatives about this issue? Seems like the system needs serious attention from higher up.