UPDATE: I tried again following the advice here. When I selected "No" for working that week (instead of trying to enter 0 hours), the system let me continue. I made sure to answer all the other questions honestly, including that I was able and available for work. My claim went through without any issues! Thanks everyone for your help. I was overthinking it and making it more complicated than it needed to be.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation where I work part-time and sometimes have weeks with reduced or no hours. It's really confusing when the ESD system seems to have different ways to handle the same situation. @Paolo Romano glad you got it sorted out - the distinction between "working 0 hours" vs "didn't work that week" is something I never would have figured out on my own. Saving this thread for future reference since part-time schedules can be so unpredictable!

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know what happened. After 5 days, my payment status suddenly changed back to pending and then to paid the next day! Turns out they were doing a random quarterly review of my claim. The $120 odd job work triggered a review to make sure I wasn't regularly self-employed. I did end up using that Claimyr service to reach ESD yesterday and that's how I found out. The agent cleared the hold while I was on the phone. Thanks everyone for your help!

This is really helpful to see the full resolution! I'm dealing with something similar right now - my benefits also bounced back from pending to available yesterday. Based on your experience and everyone else's comments, I'm going to wait a few more days to see if it resolves automatically before trying to contact ESD. It's reassuring to know that this "pending to available" thing is just how their system shows holds and doesn't mean the claim is denied. Thanks for sharing the update about the quarterly review - I had no idea that was even a thing they did!

i've been reading this whole thread and now i'm worried about my own claim. my employer said i quit but i felt like i had no choice because of the hostile work environment. do they ask employers about workplace conditions or just focus on the final incident?

I went through this exact situation last year and was terrified about what my employer would say. Turns out Washington ESD's employer questionnaire is pretty comprehensive - they ask about your job duties, attendance record, any disciplinary actions, policy violations, whether you received warnings, and the specific circumstances of your termination. The good news is that even if your employer says something negative, you get to respond and provide your side of the story. I'd recommend being completely honest in your initial claim because consistency is key if it goes to adjudication. Also, don't panic if you hear nothing for a while - sometimes employers don't respond at all and your claim gets approved automatically.

The military specialist line is 800-318-6022, but honestly it's just as hard to get through on that line as the main one. That's why I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with them. Once I got an actual person on the phone and explained my military hardship situation, they were able to flag my case. Just be prepared with all your documentation - they'll want your spouse's orders, your resignation letter, and your case ID number.

I'm going through something similar right now - been waiting 8 weeks for my appeal hearing after ESD denied my claim for quitting due to my husband's military deployment orders. The frustrating part is that the law is so clear about military spouse exceptions, yet they keep making these obvious mistakes. I've been following all the advice here about continuing to file weekly claims and keeping all my documentation organized. Has anyone had success contacting their congressional representative's office? I've heard they sometimes have more pull with federal agencies, and since this involves military families, they might be more responsive than just state reps.

Hope this works out for you! Keep us posted on how it goes.

I went through a similar situation last year where I delayed filing because I was receiving severance and thought I had to wait. Washington ESD approved my backdating request without much hassle once I explained that my employer's HR department had given me incorrect information about when I could file. The key is being very detailed in your explanation - write down exactly what you were told, by whom, and when. Also gather any emails or documentation from your employer about the severance package that might have contributed to the confusion. In my case, I was able to get about 5 weeks backdated, and the whole process took about a month from request to receiving the back payments. Good luck!