Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributed to this discussion. The Washington ESD website really doesn't explain the waiting week clearly and this thread probably saved me hours of confusion and worry.

For what it's worth, some states have eliminated their waiting weeks entirely. Maybe Washington will eventually follow suit, but for now we're stuck with it.

Ugh this whole system is so unnecessarily complicated. Just deposit the money when you say you will, how hard is that??

I've been filing on Sundays too and noticed the same inconsistency! What I've learned is that it also depends on if there are any flags on your account that need manual review. Even something small like a slight discrepancy in your work search log can push your payment back a day or two while they verify everything. I always check my ESD account the day after filing to make sure there aren't any pending issues that could delay the deposit.

Yes, absolutely mention that! When filing your new claim, there should be a section asking about the reason for separation. Select

I'm in a similar situation and just wanted to share what worked for me last year. When I filed my new claim on the Sunday after my benefit year ended, I made sure to have ALL my paperwork ready - W2s, pay stubs from the last quarter, and a detailed list of all my employers with exact dates. The key thing that helped me avoid delays was being super specific about my separation reason (seasonal layoff) and including a brief note about the cyclical nature of my industry. One thing I learned the hard way: even though you CAN file on Sunday, I'd recommend doing it early in the day before the system gets overloaded with weekly claims. The portal tends to be slower and more glitchy on Sunday evenings. Good luck with your transition - sounds like you're being really proactive about planning for it!

Bottom line for new employers: budget around 2.7% of your first $68,500 per employee for unemployment taxes, plus a small amount for social costs. Your actual rate will be determined after you have some experience in the system.

One thing that might help is to get your UBI number registered as early as possible - there can be delays in processing and you'll need it before your first employee starts. I made the mistake of waiting until the last minute and had to scramble to get everything sorted out. Also, consider signing up for Washington ESD's online employer portal right away so you can file quarterly reports electronically and track your account status.

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!