Wait are holiday furloughs even eligible for unemployment? My company does this too but HR told us we shouldn't file because it's planned in advance or something. Now I'm confused if I've been missing out on benefits I could've claimed...

Update: I reopened my claim yesterday and selected "TEMPORARY LAYOFF" as everyone suggested. I made sure to enter my return-to-work date and answered "Yes" when asked if I'm returning to the same employer. The system accepted my application without any errors, so hopefully it goes through smoothly! I'll update again once I know if it gets approved or stuck in adjudication. Thanks everyone for your help!

Glad to hear it worked out for both of you! The ESD agent I spoke with mentioned their payment status system often lags 1-2 days behind actual payments during these processing delays. Definitely worth checking your bank account directly rather than just relying on the ESD portal status.

same here! money showed up 2day but esd site still says processing. weird system they hav lol

I had a similar situation in 2024 and what tripped me up was that I didn't realize I needed to list my temp job as a new employer. When reopening, make sure you have the company name, address, phone number, first/last work date, and reason for separation ready. If you select "temporary job ended" as your reason for separation, you generally won't have issues with adjudication (that's when they investigate job separations). Also important: if your benefit year is close to ending, double-check the date in your eServices account. If you're within a few weeks of that end date, the process might be different.

To directly answer your follow-up question: Yes, you'll reopen first, then file for the week including those last 3 days worked (reporting those earnings), and then you'll be back to regular weekly claims after that. Make sure you're also keeping track of your job search activities - you still need 3 per week starting the week after your last work day. So if Thursday was your last day, you need 3 job search activities for the following week.

After 3 weeks of trying to reach ESD about this same issue, I finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com). The agent explained that they periodically check continued eligibility with these questions, especially if something in your weekly claim seemed inconsistent. In my case, I had mentioned a doctor's appointment in my work search log. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent was able to look at my file and explain exactly what triggered the question and helped me respond correctly. Worth it to get a clear answer directly from ESD instead of guessing.

Just to clarify some misconceptions in this thread: The 'able and available for 40 hours' requirement doesn't mean you must be available 24/7. It means you must be available during the normal work hours for your occupation. For administrative work, that's typically business hours Monday-Friday. If you were previously part-time but are now claiming full unemployment benefits, you need to be available for full-time work. This means you should be job searching for both part-time AND full-time positions that match your skills. Answer honestly about any weeks where you had limitations. If there were legitimate reasons (illness, one-time appointments, etc.), explain those. ESD evaluates each situation individually.

update us after u get through to ESD! i'm curious what they say cuz i might be in the same boat soon, my company is talking about layoffs 😬

Just to follow up - I checked the ESD handbook, and the formula they use is: if you earn 1.33 times your weekly benefit amount, you're considered to have excess earnings. So with a WBA of $550, you'd need to earn more than $731.50 in a week to have 'excess hours.' Since you only earned $320, something doesn't add up. Definitely contact them for clarification. And make sure to continue filing your weekly claims while you sort this out!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'm going to try a few things tomorrow: 1) Visit the WorkSource center in person, 2) Email both my state rep and senator, 3) Call that Ombuds Office, and 4) Try that Claimyr service if those don't work. Will update when/if anything happens. Just really frustrated that we have to jump through all these hoops when we're already stressed about being unemployed.

Anyone else notice that ESD seems to move faster on claims right after the end of the quarter? My theory is they're trying to clear backlogs before submitting their quarterly performance metrics. Might be worth waiting until early April when the new quarter starts to try contacting them again.

I had my claim go into adjudication last month over a similar issue (though mine was about unsuitable pay, not hours). The adjudication process took exactly 18 days from when they notified me until I got the decision. They ended up deciding in my favor because I had good documentation. Make sure you answer your phone during this time - they'll call from a blocked/private number for the fact-finding interview. Miss that call, and you could be automatically denied!

They sent a letter through my eServices account about 4 days before the call, giving me a 4-hour window when they'd call. But I've heard from others that sometimes they just call with no warning. The adjudicator was actually really reasonable and just wanted to understand my situation. Don't be too nervous - just explain your situation clearly and have your documentation ready.

One more important thing - if you're planning to use your GI Bill for education after discharge, be aware that you generally can't receive both full-time student benefits and unemployment at the same time in Washington. You'll need to report your school attendance and any VA education benefits when filing weekly claims. Also, make sure your job search activities show you're looking for suitable work based on your military skills and experience.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I'm going to wait until April 2nd to file with Washington ESD, make sure I select UCX benefits, and have my DD-214 ready. I'll be careful about listing my platoon sergeant as my supervisor and selecting 'End of Service Contract' as my separation reason. I'm also going to check out WorkSource for their veteran services to help with my job search requirements. If my claim does get stuck in adjudication, I'll keep that Claimyr service in mind. Really appreciate all the advice - this has made the process much clearer!

anyone else notice they always say "3-6 weeks" for EVERYTHING?? like no matter what the issue is its always that same timeframe... so frustrating

Update: I tried a few of the suggestions here - I called early Wednesday morning, specifically asked about expediting for hardship, and contacted my state rep's office. The rep's office got back to me quickly and said they'd send an inquiry to their ESD liaison. Not resolved yet but at least feeling like I'm making progress. Thank you all for the advice - will update when I hear more!

I had to appeal an ESD decision last year and used Christopher Thayer at Pivotal Law Group. He's not cheap ($295/hr when I used him) but he knows unemployment law inside and out. He destroyed the employer's arguments and got my benefits approved plus all backpay. If the weekly benefit amount is really $856, that's over $22k annually, so spending a couple thousand on a good lawyer makes financial sense. One warning though - appeals are taking FOREVER right now. Mine took 4 months from filing to hearing date. Make sure your dad is looking for work while waiting and documenting his job search activities perfectly.

One more thing about ESD misconduct cases - the burden of proof is on the EMPLOYER to prove misconduct, not on your dad to disprove it. Make sure his attorney emphasizes this. The legal standard for misconduct in WA unemployment is pretty strict - it has to be a deliberate or willful disregard of the employer's interest, not just poor performance or a good faith error in judgment. This is why having an attorney who specializes in ESD cases specifically (not just any employment lawyer) is so important.