u should file a complaint with the state attorney generals office too. they take this stuff seriously cuz its actually illegal for esd to take ur refund without sending a tops notice first. my cousin got her $ back that way after esd ignored her for months

UPDATE: Following everyone's advice, I compiled all my documentation (verification documents, record of all contact attempts, appeal confirmation, etc.) into a single PDF. Wrote a formal demand letter citing the Bureau of Fiscal Service requirements and CC'd my state rep and the Commissioner's office. Shockingly, I got an email response within 3 days saying my case was being expedited for review. Just checked my ESD portal today and all the disqualified weeks have been switched back to PAID status and my overpayment balance is now $0! They haven't mentioned when I'll get my tax refund portion back, but at least the overpayment is cleared. Thank you all for your advice - especially about including state officials in the communications. That seems to have been the key to getting attention on my case.

One more thing - if you win your appeal, Washington ESD should also remove the misconduct determination from your record. That's important for future benefit claims. Make sure they do that as part of the decision.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - got denied for "misconduct" after questioning some questionable practices at my workplace. Reading through everyone's responses here has been really helpful. It sounds like Washington ESD has a pretty specific legal standard for gross misconduct and refusing unsafe work definitely shouldn't meet that threshold. @Zara, your case sounds really strong especially with that employee handbook documentation. I'm also going to try that Claimyr service to actually get through to someone at ESD - the phone system has been impossible. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, this community is invaluable when dealing with these bureaucratic nightmares.

For what it's worth, I think Washington's unemployment benefits are actually pretty decent compared to other states. The maximum here is higher than a lot of places and the fact that there's no state income tax helps too.

One last thing - if you do get laid off and file for unemployment, consider it an opportunity to maybe learn new skills or get training. WorkSourceWA has some decent programs that might help you find better paying work when you're ready.

This has been really informative! I'm bookmarking this thread for reference. The work search requirements seemed so intimidating at first but breaking it down like this makes it much more manageable.

One thing I've learned from experience is that quality really matters over quantity. While you need 3 activities minimum per week, doing 5-6 well-targeted, thoughtful job search activities is much better than rushing through 10 random applications. Washington ESD can see through generic mass applications during audits. I keep a detailed log with company research notes, why I'm interested in each position, and any follow-up actions planned. It's helped me have much better conversations when I do get interviews, and I feel confident my documentation would pass any audit.

One last tip - if you get called back from furlough early, make sure to stop filing weekly claims immediately. Washington ESD gets really picky about people who continue claiming after returning to full-time work.

Just wanted to share my experience from last year - I was furloughed for 3 months and partial UI was a lifesaver. One thing I learned the hard way is to keep VERY detailed records of your work schedule changes. Washington ESD asked me to provide documentation about 6 weeks into my claim, and having everything organized (pay stubs, emails from HR, my work calendar) made the process smooth. Also, don't stress too much about the job search requirements if you have a definite return date - my employer provided that info to ESD and I was exempt. The whole process was way less scary than I expected!