One more thing to watch out for - if you have any adjudication issues or appeals, those weeks still count toward your 26 week maximum even if you're not receiving payments during the delay.

I'm also collecting unemployment in Washington and this thread has been really helpful! Just want to add that you can track your weeks used vs remaining in the SAW portal under "Payment History" - it shows each week you've claimed and calculates how many you have left. Also, make sure to keep copies of all your job search documentation because Washington ESD can request it at any time during those 26 weeks, not just at the end. I learned this the hard way when they audited my claim at week 12 and I had to scramble to find old application confirmations.

Thanks everyone for explaining this! I was getting worried that something was wrong with my claim when I didn't see a payment for my first week. Now I know it's just the waiting week and everything is normal.

One thing that helped me understand the waiting week better is to think of it as serving your "penalty week" upfront rather than at the end of your claim. Some states make you serve an unpaid week at the end of your benefits, but Washington makes you do it at the beginning. It's still frustrating when you need money right away, but at least you get it over with early and then know exactly when your payments will come.

This thread has been super helpful! I'm in a similar situation with hour cuts at my retail job. Going to apply for partial benefits this weekend.

I went through this exact same situation with my manufacturing job about 6 months ago. The partial unemployment benefits were a lifesaver when they cut us from 40 hours to 28 hours per week. Just want to add one tip that really helped me - when you're calculating your weekly earnings to report, make sure you're using your gross pay (before taxes), not your take-home pay. I initially made that mistake and it caused some confusion with my benefits calculation. Also, keep really good records of your hours worked each week because Washington ESD might ask for documentation later. The whole process was much smoother than I expected once I got the hang of filing the weekly claims. Definitely apply soon - you don't want to miss out on weeks of potential benefits while you're dealing with these reduced hours!

Reading all this makes me feel better. I've been putting off calling Washington ESD because I was worried they'd contact my new employer and make things weird. Sounds like that's not really a concern as long as I'm honest.

I went through this exact same worry when I started my new job last fall. Washington ESD never contacted my employer - they really do rely on your weekly claim reporting. The only time I heard from them after starting work was a routine letter confirming my benefit year had ended. As long as you're accurately reporting your hours and wages (which it sounds like you are), your new boss won't hear from them. Focus on your new job and don't stress about this!

Hope it works out for you OP. Keep us posted on how the appeal goes!

I went through a similar situation last year where my employer claimed misconduct but couldn't back it up with actual evidence. The key things that helped me win my appeal were: 1) Getting a copy of my personnel file to show no prior disciplinary actions, 2) Documenting exactly what was said during the termination meeting, and 3) Proving the employer's story was inconsistent (they said "performance issues" to me but "misconduct" to ESD). Don't let them intimidate you - if you weren't actually doing anything deliberately wrong, you have a good chance on appeal. The hearing officer will ask tough questions of both sides, and employers often can't provide the specific evidence they need to prove misconduct under Washington law.