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Bottom line: Report the work ASAP, be completely honest about what happened, and be prepared to pay back any overpayment. The sooner you deal with this, the better your outcome will be. Washington ESD deals with these situations every day - they're more interested in getting their money back than punishing honest mistakes.
just remember that partial unemployment benefits exist for exactly this reason. you can work part time and still get some help from washington esd. the system is designed to encourage people to take whatever work they can find
One last thing - make sure you understand the difference between being laid off vs being fired for cause. Layoffs are due to business reasons (budget cuts, restructuring, etc.) and qualify for UI. Getting fired for misconduct usually disqualifies you.
The key thing is don't give up after the first denial. A lot of legitimate claims get denied initially and then approved on appeal. Washington ESD seems to deny first and ask questions later sometimes.
Thanks everyone for all the advice. I think I'm going to try calling them first to understand the denial better, then decide about appealing.
Good luck! And seriously consider using that Claimyr service if you can't get through. The Washington ESD phone system is brutal.
One more thing - if you do appeal, keep filing your weekly claims even while the appeal is pending. If you win, you'll get back pay for those weeks. If you don't file, you lose those weeks forever.
Don't forget that if you do any part-time work while collecting unemployment, you need to report it. It might reduce your weekly benefit but you can still get partial benefits.
The key thing is to file your claim as soon as possible after losing your job. There's a waiting week but the sooner you file, the sooner you can start the process.
Jamal Washington
Bottom line: file your claim, be honest, and don't assume you'll be denied just because you were fired. The unemployment system is there to help people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own.
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ShadowHunter
•Thanks everyone for all the advice. I'm going to file my claim today. You've all been really helpful.
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Diego Ramirez
•Good luck! Come back and let us know how it goes.
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Mei Wong
Just to wrap this up - yes, you can file unemployment if you were fired. Attendance issues due to legitimate reasons like car trouble and sick children are not considered misconduct in most cases. File your claim ASAP and be honest about your situation.
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ShadowHunter
•Perfect summary. I feel much more confident about filing now. Thanks to everyone who helped!
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Liam Fitzgerald
•Hope everything works out for you. Don't be afraid to use the system you paid into.
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