As a newcomer to this community, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently working in Washington but considering a career change, and Boeing was actually on my list of potential employers. Reading through everyone's experiences has really highlighted how important it is to understand the fine print of benefits packages, especially around family leave. What strikes me most is how the Boeing IAM situation creates such a stark inequality compared to other Washington workers. The fact that a strong union somehow ended up with worse family leave coverage than what non-union employees get automatically through state PFML seems completely backwards from what you'd expect collective bargaining to achieve. The practical advice shared here has been invaluable - particularly the tips about supplemental insurance waiting periods, the possibility of spouse PFML coverage, and the Claimyr service for actually getting through to ESD. I had no idea about any of these workarounds that Boeing families have had to develop. I'm really hoping the 2025 contract negotiations address this gap. It sounds like there's growing awareness among IAM members about how inadequate the current arrangement is compared to state PFML. The legislative advocacy angle others have mentioned also seems worth pursuing - the "comparable benefits" standard clearly needs to be more specific about covering the same situations, not just similar dollar amounts. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences. This is exactly the kind of community knowledge that helps people make informed decisions about their careers and benefits!

As a newcomer to this community, this discussion has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently working for a tech company in Washington that participates in state PFML, but my husband is considering a machinist position with Boeing IAM. Reading through everyone's experiences has really opened my eyes to how these benefit opt-outs can create such significant gaps for families. What's particularly concerning is how the "comparable benefits" language seems to be interpreted so loosely that Boeing's STD coverage - which only applies to the employee's own medical conditions - is considered equivalent to state PFML that covers both personal and family care situations. That's a massive practical difference that could leave families in really difficult positions during health crises. I'm grateful for all the practical advice shared here, especially about supplemental insurance options and the possibility of using my own PFML benefits to care for my husband if needed (assuming he takes the Boeing position). The tip about Colonial Life having specific programs for Boeing employees is particularly helpful, and I'll definitely look into that if he moves forward with the job. The timing with the 2025 contract negotiations does seem hopeful, though the skepticism some have expressed about union promises is understandable. It sounds like this is an issue affecting a lot of Boeing IAM families, so hopefully there's enough member pressure to make it a real priority in the negotiations. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences - this kind of community knowledge makes such a difference when families are trying to navigate these complex benefit systems!

Hope your surgery goes well and recovery is smooth! The unemployment stuff will work itself out once you're healthy again.

I work as a benefits coordinator and see this situation frequently. While you're waiting for medical clearance, make sure to keep detailed records of all communications with your employer about your leave status and any mentions of job security. Also consider reaching out to your HR department to understand exactly what your company's medical leave policy states - sometimes there are protections you might not be aware of. The key thing to remember is that Washington ESD's "able and available" requirement is pretty strict, but once you have proper medical documentation showing you can return to work, your case should process normally if the job loss was involuntary due to the medical situation.

I just wanted to add my experience for anyone still dealing with this issue. I got the same OSI verification message about 2 months ago and was absolutely terrified. Turned out it was triggered because I had a credit freeze on my account that was blocking their automated verification system from accessing my credit report. The fix was simple once I got through to them - I had to temporarily lift the credit freeze for about 24 hours so their system could verify my identity. Then I could put the freeze back in place. The whole thing was resolved in 2 days after that. I'd recommend checking if you have any credit freezes or fraud alerts on your accounts, as that seems to be a common trigger that people don't think about. Also, if you've recently disputed anything on your credit report or had any banking issues, that might cause verification problems too. Like everyone else said, getting through on the phone is the hardest part, but once you do, they're usually pretty helpful in figuring out exactly what's causing the flag. Don't give up!

I'm currently going through this same verification process after getting that OSI message last week. What really helped me was keeping a detailed log of every call attempt - date, time, and how long I waited before hanging up. This documentation ended up being useful when I finally got through because the agent could see I'd been trying to reach them for days. One thing I learned that might help others: if you get disconnected while on hold (which happened to me twice), don't just immediately call back. Wait about 10-15 minutes because sometimes their system keeps you "in queue" even after disconnection, and calling right back can actually put you at the end of the line again. Also, I found that having a headset or speaker phone ready made the long hold times much more manageable. You can get other things done while waiting instead of holding your phone to your ear for hours. The verification process itself was straightforward once I got through - just had to confirm some employment details and provide a utility bill for address verification. Stay persistent everyone, the system is frustrating but it does work eventually!

Given the conflicting information that's come up in this thread, I think it's worth mentioning that rental income classification might depend on how it's structured on your tax returns. If you file Schedule E for rental income (which most single-property owners do), that's typically considered passive income. However, if you file Schedule C because you're treating it as a business with significant time investment, that could be why some agents classify it as self-employment. @Yang Wang's experience might reflect this distinction. For @Anita George's situation with a duplex where she lives in half and rents the other half, this would almost certainly be Schedule E passive income territory. But definitely get it confirmed directly with ESD and ask them to reference the specific policy they're using - that way you'll have documentation if there are any issues later.

I've been following this thread as someone who also got laid off recently and has rental income. The conflicting information about whether rental income counts as self-employment vs passive income is really concerning. It seems like the key factors might be: 1) How you file on your taxes (Schedule E vs Schedule C), 2) The level of active management you do, and 3) Which ESD agent you speak with. For what it's worth, I have a small rental property that I've always filed as Schedule E passive income, and when I spoke to an ESD agent last week, they confirmed it wouldn't affect my benefits. But given @Yang Wang's different experience, I think everyone should definitely get their specific situation confirmed in writing. The suggestion to use Claimyr to actually reach an agent seems like a good idea to avoid the phone tag. Has anyone else noticed inconsistent responses from different ESD representatives on other unemployment issues?

I went through a similar employer protest situation last year and want to share what I learned. The most important thing is that Washington ESD requires employers to prove misconduct was both "willful" and "substantial" - just having attendance issues, even without medical documentation, often doesn't meet that standard if there's no pattern of defiance or repeated violations after formal warnings. In your case, having medical documentation makes their argument even weaker. One thing that really helped me was creating a detailed timeline of events with dates, showing exactly when I provided medical notes and how I followed company procedures. Also, don't forget to mention if you were a good employee overall - length of service, positive reviews, no prior disciplinary actions all work in your favor. The adjudicator will look at the totality of circumstances, not just the employer's cherry-picked complaints. Washington ESD sees these weak protests all the time and knows the difference between legitimate misconduct and employers trying to avoid paying unemployment taxes.

I'm going through a similar situation right now with my former employer claiming I was terminated for "violation of company policy" when I was actually laid off due to budget cuts. They're trying to say I was using my phone too much during work hours, but I have emails showing they approved my schedule changes to handle family medical emergencies. It's so frustrating when employers twist the truth just to avoid paying unemployment taxes. What I've learned from reading everyone's responses here is that documentation is everything - I'm gathering all my emails, performance reviews, and any communication that shows the real reason for my termination. Has anyone else dealt with employers making up policy violations that weren't actually enforced consistently? I'm worried because they're a bigger company with HR resources, but seeing all the success stories here gives me hope that Washington ESD will see through their lies.