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Bottom line - you don't need to work for any specific company for a minimum amount of time. It's all about your total earnings during the base period. With 18+ months of work history, you should be fine. Just file your claim and see what happens!
Just wanted to add that I went through something similar last year. I had worked at 4 different jobs over 15 months - some only for a few weeks, others for several months. I was worried I wouldn't qualify because I kept switching jobs, but it turned out my total earnings during the base period were more than enough to meet the requirements. The application process was pretty straightforward once I gathered all my employer information and separation details. Don't let the multiple jobs discourage you from applying - Washington ESD really does just care about your total wages during those specific quarters, not how long you stayed at each place.
This is really encouraging to hear! I was definitely worried about having multiple employers on my record, but it sounds like that's actually pretty common. Did you have any trouble during the application process with providing all the different employer details, or was it pretty straightforward to list everything out?
just wanted to thank everyone for explaining this. I had no idea credit weeks were even a thing until I saw this thread. Now I need to go check my account and see what my situation actually is
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a newcomer to Washington unemployment and had no clue about credit weeks either. From reading all the responses, it sounds like the key points are: 1) Credit weeks = weeks where you earned at least 1.5x your weekly benefit amount, 2) You can only collect benefits for the number of credit weeks you have (up to 26 max), and 3) It's based on your work history in the base period (first 4 of last 5 quarters). I'm definitely going to check my account to see how many credit weeks I have and compare it to my actual work history. Thanks everyone for breaking this down so clearly!
My husband went through something similar with his construction job layoff. When we called, nobody even mentioned a supervisor review? I wonder if that's only for certain types of claims or if his adjudicator just skipped telling us that part. His took exactly 24 hours to change from pending to paid after talking to the adjudicator. I remember because we were checking constantly too!
So relieved to see your update! I went through almost the exact same thing 3 months ago - adjudicator said it looked approved, then I spent 2 days obsessively refreshing my account. The waiting is honestly the worst part when you're stressed about money. For anyone else going through this, the overnight system updates seem to be pretty consistent. Mine switched to paid at like 3am and the funds were in my bank account by noon the next day. Hope your rent situation works out okay now!
Does anyone know if the OAH hearings are still all by phone because of COVID or are they doing in-person again? I had mine over the phone last year and felt like it was harder for the judge to connect with my situation. Would've been better in person where they could see how genuinely upset I was about the whole thing.
They're still mostly doing phone hearings but you can request video now too. I had mine by video in February and it worked really well. Just make sure you test your setup beforehand because technical issues can eat into your hearing time. The official OAH notice will have instructions for requesting video instead of phone.
I'm facing a similar situation right now and this thread is incredibly helpful! My employer created such a hostile work environment that my panic attacks got worse, but ESD is treating it like I just decided to quit one day. One question for those who won their OAH hearings - did you submit your medical documentation before the hearing or bring it up during? I have detailed records from my psychiatrist about how work stress was affecting my PTSD, but I'm not sure about the timing of when to present everything. Also, has anyone dealt with an employer who claims they "offered accommodations" that weren't actually reasonable? My boss said I could "just ignore" the coworker who was triggering my episodes, which obviously isn't a real accommodation. I'm worried the judge might think that counts as them trying to help.
Kennedy Morrison
For what it's worth, I used Claimyr when I needed to talk to Washington ESD about wage verification issues and it was worth every penny. Saved me hours of trying to get through on the phone. Sometimes paying for convenience is worth it when you're dealing with government agencies.
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Wesley Hallow
•How much does it cost? Is it expensive?
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Kennedy Morrison
•I don't remember the exact cost but it wasn't outrageous. Check their website for current pricing. For me it was worth it just to avoid the frustration of calling Washington ESD directly.
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Justin Chang
UPDATE: I checked my wage records through SecureAccess Washington like someone suggested and my employer's wages ARE showing up! So they must be paying unemployment insurance. Thanks everyone for the advice - I feel much better about my situation now.
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Samantha Howard
•Wait, that was me posting the update - I think there might be some confusion with the profile numbers. But yes, I did check and everything looks good with my wage records!
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Ethan Taylor
•That's such a relief! I was getting really worried about this same issue with my own job. Going to check my SAW account this weekend to make sure everything looks good on my end too. Thanks for sharing the update!
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