Hey Riya! I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago when I got laid off from my tech job. The advice you're getting here is spot on - definitely answer NO to the notice period question since severance is completely different. One thing I wish someone had told me early on: create a simple spreadsheet to track all your severance payments, dates received, and what you reported to ESD each week. It saved me so much headache when I had questions later. Also, if your severance payments are substantial like mine were, don't be surprised if you get $0 benefits for several weeks - that's totally normal and expected. The most important thing is to keep filing those weekly claims religiously, even when you're getting nothing. I made the mistake of skipping a few weeks thinking "what's the point if I'm getting $0" and it created issues when I tried to restart later. Just keep filing and everything will smooth out once your severance period ends in March!

I'm going through a similar situation right now after being laid off from my marketing job in September. Just wanted to add that when you're reporting your severance payments, make sure you're clear about whether they're taxable or not - this can affect how much gets deducted from your benefits. Also, if your company is providing any continuing benefits (like health insurance coverage) during your severance period, that doesn't need to be reported as income, but it's worth noting in case ESD asks about it later. One tip that helped me: I took a screenshot of each weekly claim submission showing exactly what I reported and when. It creates a paper trail in case there are any questions down the road. The whole process is stressful enough without worrying about documentation issues later! Good luck navigating this - it sounds like you're being really thorough about getting it right, which is exactly the right approach.

This is such a comprehensive thread - you all have covered pretty much every aspect of filing for unemployment after contract work! As someone who's been doing contract work in Washington for about 3 years, I can confirm everything everyone has said. The process really is straightforward for W-2 contract workers. One small addition - if you worked for multiple staffing agencies or had overlapping contracts during your base period, don't worry about trying to calculate everything yourself. Washington ESD's system will pull all your wage records automatically once you file. I made the mistake of trying to manually enter every single contract detail my first time filing, but they handle all the wage verification behind the scenes. Just focus on accurately describing your most recent work and why it ended. The system is actually pretty well-designed for our type of work situation!

I'm in a really similar situation as well - my tech contract ended about a month ago and I was hesitant to file because I thought there might be complications with it being temporary work. But after reading through everyone's experiences here, I just submitted my application yesterday! The whole process was actually much more straightforward than I expected. For anyone still on the fence - definitely don't wait like I did. I wish I had filed right when my contract ended instead of overthinking it for weeks. The Washington ESD system really does seem well-equipped to handle contract worker situations. Already feeling more optimistic about this whole transition period between contracts.

One last thought - if you're planning to publish your findings, make sure you understand any restrictions on how the data can be used. Some government datasets have specific requirements for citation or usage.

I've worked with Washington ESD data before for policy research. One tip that might save you time - their Labor Market and Economic Analysis (LMEA) division is specifically responsible for research and data requests. Try contacting them directly rather than going through general customer service. They're much more equipped to handle academic and advocacy research requests, and they understand what researchers typically need. Also, when you do reach out, be specific about your timeline and mention if this is for a nonprofit advocacy purpose - they sometimes prioritize those requests.

I'm in a similar situation and wanted to share what I learned from my local legislator's office. If you've been waiting over 6 weeks for document verification, you can contact your state representative or senator's office for help. They have caseworkers who can directly contact ESD on your behalf and sometimes get faster results. I reached out to my rep's office last week after 7 weeks of waiting, and they said they've been getting tons of calls about ESD delays. They submitted an inquiry for me and said they usually hear back within 1-2 weeks. It's worth a shot since the normal channels clearly aren't working. You can find your legislator's contact info on the Washington State Legislature website. Also, document everything - dates you uploaded docs, confirmation numbers, all your attempts to contact ESD. The caseworker asked for a timeline of everything I'd tried so far.

I've been waiting 6 weeks for document verification myself, so I completely understand your frustration! What worked for me was a combination approach - I contacted my state rep's office (like Keisha mentioned) AND used the Claimyr service to actually get through to ESD by phone. The legislator's office inquiry seemed to put some pressure on ESD, and when I finally got through to a claims specialist via Claimyr, they were able to see that my case had been flagged for review. My documents were approved 3 days later. One thing I learned - the regular customer service reps literally cannot access the document verification queue, so calling the main line is pretty much useless. You need to get transferred to someone in the claims department who can actually see what's happening with your docs. Also, definitely try the hardship expedite request that Diego mentioned if you have shutoff notices or eviction threats. Having that documentation on file can sometimes bump you up in the queue. Hang in there - it will eventually get resolved, but I know how stressful the waiting is when bills are piling up!

Just wanted to add my experience - I also got confused about this when I first started my PFMLA claim after knee surgery. The key thing that helped me was realizing that when you log into SAW, you'll actually see TWO different account options if you've used both systems: one for "Unemployment Services" and another for "Paid Family and Medical Leave." Make sure you click on the PFMLA one! Also, unlike unemployment where you have to file by a certain day of the week, PFMLA gives you more flexibility on when during the week you submit your certification. The whole process is definitely more user-friendly once you find the right place. Good luck with your recovery!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who made this exact same mistake! I spent weeks trying to figure out why I couldn't find my PFMLA claims in the regular unemployment system. The biggest thing that helped me was bookmarking the direct PFMLA portal link once I found it - it saves so much time not having to navigate through all the different SAW options. Also, if you're still recovering from surgery like I was, the PFMLA system is actually pretty forgiving if you're a day or two late with your weekly certification. Just make sure to catch up on any missed weeks as soon as you can. The whole process really is much simpler than unemployment once you get the hang of it. Wishing you a smooth recovery!