Former hiring manager here - those ESD determinations absolutely matter for lawsuits! When I worked at [large retailer], our legal team would get very concerned if an employee won their unemployment case, especially with a finding specifically stating the employee did nothing wrong. It often led to settlement offers rather than risking court. If your determination specifically mentions unsafe working conditions or retaliation, that's gold for a potential lawsuit. Make sure your attorney gets a copy of the complete ESD file - not just the determination letter.

One thing to watch out for - if you win a wrongful termination lawsuit later, ESD might come back and say you owe some benefits back if you receive lost wages as part of your settlement/judgment. It's not always the case, but worth keeping in mind so you're not surprised.

For what it's worth, when I had this issue last month, I tried uploading one document at a time and checking back the next day to see if the alert was gone. That way I could figure out exactly what they wanted. Turns out for me it was specifically my final paystub that resolved it, even though I'd already uploaded tax forms and W2s. Their system is frustrating but sometimes this approach helps narrow down what they're actually looking for.

Did you check your messages in the ESD portal? Sometimes they send specific document requests there but the notification doesn't show up properly. Also, did you work for multiple employers during your base year? That often triggers the missing employment info alert because they need to verify all sources of income.

i dont understand why they do system maintenance on weekends when thats when most people file their weekly claims?? why not do it like tuesday night when hardly anyone is filing??

Important update from ESD's technical support team: If you were affected by this issue, once your payment is manually processed, you should receive an email confirmation. If you don't receive this email within 24 hours of speaking with an agent, call back to verify the manual process was completed. Also, for future reference, any time you file a weekly claim and the confirmation page looks different than usual or cuts off early, it's recommended to call within 48 hours to verify your claim was properly processed. ESD has published a notice about this issue on their website under the System Alerts section. They expect all affected claims to be identified and fixed by Friday, but it's faster if you call directly.

Don't overthink this too much. ESD just needs to verify you didn't quit or get fired from a job. Since you worked such a small amount for this company, it likely won't affect your benefit amount much if at all. The important part is explaining clearly in the comments section. I'd personally select "Lack of work/Laid off" since that most accurately describes that they didn't have more work for you after those fill-in days. For dates, just use March 2 to April 7. In the explanation field, specify exactly how many days you worked (5 total) and that this was just fill-in work while you were employed full-time elsewhere. Your actual benefit calculation will be based primarily on your main job if that's where the vast majority of your hours were worked.

One more thing I should clarify - when you file your weekly claims, if you worked ANY days during a week (for ANY employer), you need to report those hours and earnings for that specific week. This is separate from the employer separation issue we're discussing, but equally important to get right.

just went through this exact thing! my last day was a friday but HR put the following monday on my paperwork. the thing that finally worked was going to my WorkSource office in person - they have a direct line to ESD that doesn't have the same wait. the lady helped me fill out a form explaining the discrepancy and my claim was fixed within 2 days. might be worth trying if you have a WorkSource office nearby!

This is a common issue that comes up when employment ends on a weekend or when there's a difference between the official termination date and last working day. Here's what you should do: 1. Continue filing your weekly claims while this gets resolved - don't miss any weeks 2. For the question about September 15, answer truthfully that you did not work that day 3. When the system flags the discrepancy, look for an option to add comments or additional information (sometimes there's a text field or an "other" option) 4. If no comment option exists, you need to contact ESD directly 5. Send a secure message through your eServices account explaining both dates (termination letter date AND last physical working day) 6. Be specific about why there's a difference (weekend, administrative processing, etc.) If you don't get a response to your secure message within 5-7 business days, then you'll need to speak with someone by phone. Often these issues can be resolved quickly once you reach a claims specialist.

I work as an employment counselor and see overpayment cases regularly. Here's what typically happens after an OAH hearing: 1. Judge issues decision within 2-4 weeks (average is about 18 days) 2. If you win, ESD has 30 days to implement the decision or file their own appeal 3. If ESD doesn't appeal, the overpayment should be waived and removed from your account The fact that you had representation from ULP is excellent. Their attorneys win the vast majority of their cases. The most common reason judges waive overpayments is financial hardship, so all those documents you provided showing your expenses and income will be crucial. One thing to prepare for: if you win, you might still see the overpayment listed in your ESD account for a few weeks until they process the waiver. Don't panic if this happens - it's just administrative lag time.

I know exactly how you feel about the stress. I had an overpayment issue too but never got as far as an appeal hearing because I couldn't figure out the process. I just ended up on a payment plan ($150/month for 3 years). It's hard but I'm managing. The whole system seems designed to be confusing. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

One more thing about the WorkSource appointment - it's usually a group orientation first (about 30-45 minutes) and then one-on-one time with a counselor. Don't be late or you might have to reschedule the whole thing, which could affect your benefits. The group part covers general services and the individual part is where they review your specific situation and job search logs.

Also, a tip - if there are specific industries or companies you're interested in, bring that info with you. My counselor actually knew someone at a company I was interested in and made an introduction. They can't help with those connections if they don't know what you're looking for!

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I was laid off due to budget cuts, so hopefully that's a pretty straightforward separation reason. Should I be checking my ESD account messages daily, or will they email me if there's something they need?

They should send you an email notification when there's a new message in your ESD account, but the system isn't always reliable. I recommend checking your ESD account messages at least every other day. A budget cut layoff is generally straightforward, but they'll still verify with your employer. Keep documenting your job search activities (you need 3 per week) while you wait.

Make sure your employer classifies you correctly! My company tried to say our reduced hours were due to "lack of work" rather than "reduced hours" which caused all kinds of problems with my claim. The adjudication process took FOREVER to sort out. If they don't code it right when ESD contacts them, you might get stuck in pending status.

One more thing to be aware of: starting in 2025, ESD requires claimants to use the new WorkSource WA job search log in your ESD account to document all job search activities (if you don't get standby status). The old paper logs are no longer accepted. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the online system if you end up needing to do job searches.

Just a follow-up: if you can't find your 1099-G online and need it urgently for tax filing, you can also contact the IRS directly. They typically receive this information from ESD and may be able to provide you with the total unemployment compensation paid to you during the tax year. This can be done by requesting a wage and income transcript from the IRS website.

Thanks for this additional information! I was able to find my 1099-G following everyone's advice, but this is good to know for future reference. I appreciate all the help from everyone!