Pro tip: if you ever need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about how employer contributions affect your claim, I had great luck with Claimyr helping me get through. Much better than the endless busy signals I was getting before.

This thread has been super helpful! I had no idea that employers were paying 100% of unemployment insurance costs. I always assumed it was like Social Security where both employee and employer contribute. It actually makes me feel better about filing my claim knowing that my former employer was already paying into the system specifically for situations like this. Thanks everyone for explaining how the experience rating works too - now I understand why some companies might try to contest legitimate claims.

Bottom line - with 6 months of full-time work at $18/hour, you should be fine on the earnings requirement. The bigger question is whether the layoffs actually happen and if they do, making sure you file promptly and meet all the ongoing requirements.

One more thing to consider - if you do end up getting laid off, file your claim as soon as possible even if you're not sure about your eligibility. There's a waiting week in Washington, and the sooner you file, the sooner that clock starts ticking. You can always appeal or provide additional documentation if there are issues with your wage records. Also, keep all your pay stubs and employment records organized just in case you need to prove your earnings to Washington ESD.

For anyone still struggling to get through to Washington ESD about MEUC questions, I can't recommend Claimyr enough. It's been a lifesaver for getting actual answers instead of waiting on hold for hours.

I was in a similar situation as Emma - saw MEUC on my account but had no idea what it meant. After reading through all these responses, I'm realizing I probably qualified since I had freelance graphic design work alongside my regular job. The $100 weekly supplement would have been really helpful during my unemployment period. It's frustrating that these programs aren't better publicized - seems like a lot of people who could have benefited never even knew they existed.

this whole thread is so helpful!! im in almost teh exact same situation but with a coworker not a trainer. saving all this advice for myself too. good luck OP hope it works out for u

I'm going through something similar right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful. One thing I wanted to add - if you do end up quitting and filing for unemployment, be prepared for the fact that your former employer might contest your claim even if they know they were in the wrong. Some companies automatically contest every unemployment claim regardless of the circumstances just to try to keep their unemployment insurance rates low. Also, when you talk to your doctor about the anxiety/panic attacks, ask them to specifically document how your work environment is contributing to these symptoms. The more detailed the medical documentation, the stronger your case will be. My therapist wrote a letter stating that my workplace stress was "significantly exacerbating" my anxiety disorder, and I think that language really helped during my appeals process. Hang in there - toxic workplaces are awful and you deserve better than what you're dealing with.

OP, I just wanted to say good luck with your appeal. This stuff is stressful but you seem to have done things correctly. Hope it works out in your favor.

I went through something very similar last year with a $3,400 overpayment notice from 2020-2021. Like you, I was terrified and confused because I thought I had reported everything correctly. I appealed it and gathered all my documentation - pay stubs, weekly claim certifications, bank statements showing when I deposited paychecks, everything. Turned out ESD had made an error in how they calculated my benefit year earnings base period. The whole overpayment got reversed after my hearing. Don't give up hope - these errors happen more often than you'd think, especially for claims from that chaotic pandemic period. Document everything you can remember about your work schedule and earnings reporting, and definitely appeal before the deadline. You've got this!