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Just went through the Washington ESD employer registration process myself last week! A few additional tips from my experience: 1) Make sure you have your federal EIN ready before starting - they'll ask for it early in the process. 2) The online portal will ask you to estimate your annual payroll, so have a rough number in mind. 3) They'll send you a welcome packet with your account info within about 5-7 business days. The whole process took me maybe 30 minutes once I had all my documents ready. Way easier than I expected after reading horror stories online!
This is exactly what I needed to hear! I've been procrastinating on this registration for weeks thinking it would be a nightmare. Did you need to upload any business formation documents during the process, or was it mostly just entering information into forms? Also, when they assigned your UI tax rate, did they explain how it might change over time based on claims experience?
This is super helpful timing! I'm just about to start my own registration process. Quick question - did they give you any guidance on what to expect for your first quarterly report, or do they send separate instructions for that later? Also, when you estimated your annual payroll, did you have to break it down by employee type or just give one total number?
I just completed my Washington ESD employer registration online yesterday and wanted to share some insights! The process was surprisingly smooth once I found the right starting point. A few things that helped me: 1) I used the BizLicenseWA.gov portal as mentioned earlier in this thread - it really does streamline everything. 2) Having my business structure details ready (LLC, corporation, etc.) sped things up significantly. 3) They asked for my NAICS code, so I looked that up beforehand. 4) The system automatically calculated my initial UI tax rate based on my industry classification. Total time was about 45 minutes including a brief phone verification call they made to confirm my business address. Much less painful than I anticipated! For anyone still hesitating, just dive in - the online system walks you through each step pretty clearly.
Thanks for sharing your experience! The NAICS code detail is really helpful - I hadn't thought about looking that up beforehand. Did they give you any trouble with the code you selected, or was it pretty straightforward once you had it ready? Also curious about that phone verification call - was it immediate or did they call back later in the day?
This is incredibly helpful! I'm just starting the process myself and the NAICS code tip is gold - I would have definitely been scrambling to figure that out mid-application. Quick question about the phone verification: did they call the number you provided for your business, or your personal contact number? I want to make sure I'm available when they call. Also, did they mention anything about when you'll receive your first quarterly filing instructions?
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This has been such an incredibly helpful thread to read through! I'm actually in the exact same situation - just accepted a job offer yesterday with a start date of June 23rd, so I have about 10 weeks left on unemployment. I was literally having a panic attack last night wondering if continuing to file weekly claims would somehow get me flagged for fraud or overpayment later. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief! It's clear that the approach is to be completely transparent - answer "yes" to having future work on the weekly claims, keep doing those job search activities (even though it feels ridiculous when you already have a job lined up), and document everything thoroughly. I'm definitely going to create that documentation folder with my offer letter and start taking screenshots of all my weekly claim submissions. The Sunday-Saturday earnings tip for when I actually start working is gold too - I never would have thought about that timing issue! It's honestly mind-blowing how common this situation apparently is based on all these responses, yet ESD provides zero clear guidance about it on their website. This community is absolutely invaluable for figuring out what their own system expects from us! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - you've turned what felt like a terrifying situation into something manageable. Congrats to all who successfully navigated this and landed new jobs! 🙌
You're absolutely doing the right thing by being transparent! I went through this exact situation about 5 months ago - had a similar 10-week wait between accepting my offer and starting work. The panic is totally understandable because ESD's website is so confusing about these scenarios! But honestly, you're on the perfect track with your approach. I kept detailed documentation too and while I never ended up needing it, having everything organized gave me such peace of mind during those final weeks. The job search activities do feel pointless when you already have work lined up, but I focused on LinkedIn Learning courses and industry webinars to fulfill the requirement - at least it felt somewhat productive! It's crazy how many of us have been in this exact boat yet ESD doesn't provide clear guidance about it. You've got this - June 23rd will be here before you know it! Congrats on the new job! 🎉
This thread has been absolutely amazing to stumble upon! I'm currently in this exact situation - just accepted a job offer this week with a start date of July 7th, so I'm looking at about 11 weeks of waiting. I was genuinely terrified that I might be doing something wrong by continuing to file my weekly claims, especially after reading some horror stories online about people getting hit with massive overpayment demands. Reading through all these experiences has been such a relief! It's incredible how many people have successfully navigated this by simply being honest and transparent. I'm definitely going to follow the proven approach: answer truthfully about having future work on my weekly claims, continue with my job search activities (I'm thinking online certifications and professional networking events), and document absolutely everything. Starting my documentation folder today with the offer letter, and I'll screenshot every single weekly claim submission going forward. The Sunday-Saturday earnings reporting tip is so valuable - thank you to everyone who mentioned that! It's honestly ridiculous that this scenario is SO common yet ESD's website provides zero guidance about it. Thank goodness for this community sharing real experiences! This thread should honestly be pinned somewhere - it's helping so many people navigate what feels like a really scary situation. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their stories! 🙏
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This is such a helpful thread! I'm also new to Washington and was confused about seeing unemployment deductions on my paycheck since I came from a state where employees don't pay into the system. Reading through everyone's explanations really clarifies how it works here. I especially appreciate the breakdown of the current wage base limit and tax rate. One thing I'm curious about - when you file for unemployment benefits, does Washington ESD look at all the wages you earned in the state, or just the wages that were subject to the unemployment tax (up to the annual limit)? I'm wondering if earning more than the $70,200 limit affects your benefit calculation at all.
Great question about how benefit calculations work! Washington ESD uses your total reported wages for benefit calculations, not just the wages that were subject to unemployment tax. So if you earned $80,000 but only paid unemployment tax on the first $70,200, your weekly benefit amount would still be calculated based on the full $80,000 in wages. The wage base limit only affects how much tax you pay in, but doesn't cap what wages count toward determining your benefit amount. This is actually beneficial for higher earners since their benefits are calculated on their full wages even though they stop paying the tax partway through the year. The benefit calculation looks at your highest quarter of earnings in your base period, so those higher wages definitely help increase your potential weekly benefit amount.
This has been such an educational thread! I'm new to Washington state employment and had no idea that employees actually pay into unemployment insurance here - definitely different from what I'm used to. The breakdown of the $70,200 wage base limit and 0.4292% rate is really helpful. I work in tech and with bonuses, I'll probably hit that limit partway through the year, so it's good to know the deductions will automatically stop. One thing I'm taking away is the importance of keeping detailed pay stub records - seems like there are enough potential complications (multiple jobs, different types of compensation, payroll errors) that having your own documentation could really save headaches down the road. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge!
Welcome to Washington! You're absolutely right about the documentation being crucial - I learned this the hard way when I had a wage reporting issue a few years back. Since you're in tech with bonuses, make sure to pay attention to when those bonuses are paid out versus when they're earned, as the timing can affect which year they count toward for the wage base calculation. Also, if your company does stock compensation or other equity benefits, those can have their own rules about when they're subject to unemployment tax. Your HR team should be able to clarify how they handle those. The automatic cutoff at the wage base limit is nice - it's like getting a small raise partway through the year when that deduction stops!
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I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My PFML payment is usually deposited every Monday at 11:30am and has been consistent for the past 5 weeks, but nothing came through this week either. My claim shows approved and I've double-checked all my banking info - everything looks correct. It's really stressful when you're counting on that money for basic expenses. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually pretty reassuring though - it seems like these random PFML delays are unfortunately common and the payments do eventually show up within a few days. I'm going to wait until tomorrow and see if it comes through, but it's frustrating that ESD doesn't give any advance warning about these processing delays. Thanks to everyone for sharing their situations - it really helps to know this is a system-wide issue and not something wrong with individual accounts!
I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm brand new to this community and dealing with the exact same PFML payment delay right now. My payment is 2 days late and I was starting to think something was seriously wrong with my account. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a relief - it's clear this is a recurring system issue that affects multiple people regularly. It's really frustrating that ESD doesn't provide any advance notice about these delays, especially when people are relying on this money for rent and essential bills. I'm going to follow the advice here and wait a couple more days before trying to contact them. Thanks to everyone for sharing their situations - it's so helpful to know we're not dealing with this alone!
I'm experiencing this exact same delay right now too! My PFML payment is 3 days late and I was starting to panic thinking there was an issue with my account. Reading through all these comments has been incredibly helpful - it's clear that these random processing delays are unfortunately a regular occurrence with PFML payments. It's so frustrating that ESD doesn't provide any advance notice when there are system issues, especially when people are depending on this money for essential expenses like rent and bills. I'm going to wait another day or two based on everyone's advice here, and if nothing shows up I'll try calling or using that Claimyr service. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it really helps to know this is a widespread system problem and not something wrong with individual accounts!
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My PFML payment is also 3 days late and I was getting really worried that something was wrong with my claim. This thread has been a lifesaver - it's such a relief to know that these random delays are apparently just part of how the PFML system works, even though it's incredibly stressful when you're counting on that money. The lack of communication from ESD is really the worst part - they should definitely send out notifications when there are processing delays. I'm also going to wait another day before trying to contact them. Hopefully all of our payments show up soon! Thanks for posting about this - it really does help to know we're all in the same boat.
Noland Curtis
I'm in a similar situation - just got approved for unemployment after being laid off from my manufacturing job. The 26 weeks sounds like it should be plenty of time, but reading through everyone's experiences here is making me realize I need to be more strategic about my job search timeline. I've been taking it slow for the first few weeks, but it sounds like I should ramp up my efforts sooner rather than later. Thanks for all the detailed explanations about how the benefit year works - I had no idea about the 52-week limit regardless of whether you use all your weeks or not.
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Fiona Gallagher
•You're smart to start planning early! I made the same mistake of taking it easy the first month and then felt rushed later. One thing that helped me was setting weekly goals for applications and networking - treating job searching like a full-time job itself. Also, definitely keep track of your job search activities from day one since Washington ESD can audit those records at any time. The 26 weeks feels like a lot at first but it really does go by quickly, especially when you factor in holidays, interview processes, and waiting for responses from employers.
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AstroAce
Just wanted to add that it's also worth checking your online ESD account regularly to track your remaining weeks and benefit year end date. The online portal shows your claim summary with how many weeks you've used and your maximum benefit amount remaining. I found it helpful to screenshot this information periodically so I could track my progress and plan accordingly. Also, if you're considering any training programs or certifications while unemployed, make sure to discuss them with WorkSource first since some approved programs can extend your eligibility or provide additional support. The key is staying proactive rather than reactive - don't wait until week 20-something to start worrying about what comes next.
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Zoe Papadakis
•This is really helpful advice! I just started collecting benefits myself and hadn't thought about taking screenshots of my account to track progress. That's a smart way to stay organized. The point about training programs is interesting too - I've been considering getting some forklift certifications since I'm in warehouse work. Do you know if those kinds of certifications typically qualify for the extended programs, or is it more for longer-term education? I want to make sure I understand all my options before I get too deep into my benefit period.
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