Anyone reached WA Paid Family Leave agents without getting hung up on? 46 minutes waiting...

I've been through this nightmare. The PFML phone system is completely overwhelmed right now. What worked for me was calling right when they open at 8am sharp. I mean literally dialing at 7:59 and hitting send at 8:00:00. Got through after only a 12 min wait. Also, try Thursdays - for some reason they seemed less busy that day when I was dealing with my claim.

Just to clarify - you're trying to reach the Paid Family & Medical Leave department, not unemployment (ESD), correct? They're separate divisions with different phone systems, though both are challenging to reach. For PFML, try 833-717-2273. For regular unemployment, it's 800-318-6022. I've found that the technical issues are specific to which department you're calling.

OMG SAME THING!!! i waited 1hr 20min yesterday and then some lady picked up and immediatly hung up on me!!!! i was so mad i threw my phone lol. their whole system is garbage. i think they do it on purpose so they dont have to pay benefits honestly.

Have you tried emailing them instead? Sometimes the written route is faster for PFML questions. There's a contact form somewhere on the paidleave.wa.gov site. I got a response in about 3 days when I couldn't get through by phone.

i had this exact problem last month when my baby was born!! so annoying when ur trying to figure out how to pay bills while on leave. what i did was contact my HR department and they actually had a special contact person at PFML they work with. might be worth asking your employer if they have a better way to reach someone?

I was in the same boat last month trying to reach PFML about my bonding leave claim. After 4 days of getting disconnected or waiting 1+ hours, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have a demo of how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Basically they navigate the phone system and wait on hold for you, then call you when an agent is about to pick up. Saved me tons of stress when I was dealing with a PFML issue while taking care of my newborn.

Just FYI - the PFML department has different requirements and processes than regular unemployment. Make sure you're thoroughly prepared when you do get through: 1. Have your PFML application ID ready 2. Be able to verify your identity (SSN, DOB, address) 3. Keep notes about specific questions you need answered 4. Have documentation of your qualifying event accessible 5. Track the name of the person you speak with I've found that being extremely organized helps prevent transferred calls or confusion that might result in disconnection.

i know this is kind of random but is anyone else noticing that ALL wa state agencies are impossible to reach lately?? i had same issue with DOL for a drivers license problem and then my mom couldnt get thru to HCA for medicaid questions. is this just how government works now or what??

To specifically address the PFML phone system issues, I recommend the following steps that have worked for others: 1. Try calling on Tuesday or Wednesday mid-morning (10-11am). Their highest volume is typically Mondays and Fridays. 2. If you get the "we're experiencing high call volume" message, hang up and immediately redial rather than waiting on hold. Sometimes you'll get a different message and can enter the queue. 3. If you have the option, use a landline rather than cell phone - the connection is more stable and less likely to drop. 4. When you do get through, immediately ask the agent to note in your file that you've experienced disconnections. This helps document the issue. 5. As a last resort, contact your state representative's office. They often have constituent services that can help navigate state agencies.

I feel your pain - the PFML phone system is absolutely brutal right now. I went through this exact same thing two months ago when I needed to update my application after my doctor changed some paperwork. What finally worked for me was a combination of strategies people mentioned here: I called at exactly 8am on a Wednesday, had all my documents ready, and when I finally got through after 35 minutes, I immediately told the agent I'd been disconnected multiple times before. She was actually really helpful and spent extra time making sure we covered everything so I wouldn't have to call back. The key is persistence and having backup plans - try the early morning calls, maybe give that Claimyr service a shot if you're desperate, and definitely reach out to your HR department to see if they have any special contacts. Don't give up, you'll get through eventually!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Been trying to reach PFML for over a week about my maternity leave application. The worst part is when you finally hear a human voice and then get that immediate click - it's so demoralizing. I've tried calling at different times of day but haven't had luck yet. Reading through these comments gives me some hope though. I'm definitely going to try the 8am Wednesday strategy and maybe look into that Claimyr service. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through these hoops just to access benefits we've paid into, but I guess that's the reality right now. Thanks for posting this - at least I know I'm not alone in this nightmare!

I'm going through this same frustrating experience right now with PFML! Been trying for almost two weeks to get through about my family bonding leave claim. The random disconnects are the worst part - yesterday I waited 52 minutes only to have someone pick up and immediately hang up. It's beyond maddening when you're dealing with a newborn and trying to figure out your benefits. I'm definitely going to try the 8am Wednesday/Thursday strategy that everyone's mentioning. Has anyone had success with their online chat feature, or is that just as broken as the phone system? Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - it helps to know this isn't just happening to me!

I'm currently going through this exact same nightmare! Been trying to reach PFML for 8 days straight about my medical leave claim and it's driving me absolutely insane. Yesterday I waited 1 hour and 17 minutes only to have someone answer "Hello, Paid Family-" and then CLICK. Gone. I actually screamed at my phone. Reading everyone's strategies here is giving me some hope though. I'm going to try the 8am Wednesday approach with everything organized beforehand. It's unbelievable that accessing benefits we've literally paid into through our paychecks requires this level of persistence and luck. The system is completely broken. Thank you for posting this - knowing other people are dealing with the same thing makes me feel slightly less like I'm losing my mind!

I just went through this exact same ordeal last week! After 6 days of getting disconnected or hung up on immediately, I finally got through using a combination of strategies from this thread. Here's what worked: I called at exactly 7:59:50 AM and hit send right at 8:00 AM on a Thursday morning. Had my application ID, SSN, and a written list of questions ready. When the agent picked up, I immediately said "Hi, please don't hang up - I've been trying to reach someone for almost a week and keep getting disconnected." She was super understanding and actually flagged my account to note the connection issues. The whole call took about 20 minutes and she answered all my questions about my leave verification. The key is being prepared and letting them know upfront about the technical problems. Don't give up - persistence really does pay off with this broken system!

I'm dealing with this EXACT same issue right now! Been trying to reach PFML for over 10 days about my bonding leave application and it's absolutely maddening. The immediate hang-ups are the worst - yesterday someone picked up, said "Hi, this is-" and CLICK. I've now read through everyone's strategies here and I'm feeling more hopeful. Planning to try the 8AM sharp approach tomorrow (Thursday) with all my paperwork organized and that opening line about previous disconnections ready to go. It's beyond frustrating that we have to become phone system strategists just to access benefits we've literally paid into through our paychecks, but I'm grateful for this community sharing what actually works. Will definitely update if I have success - fingers crossed!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Been trying to reach PFML for 6 days straight about my medical leave application and I'm about ready to lose it. The immediate hang-ups are soul-crushing - I had someone pick up yesterday after a 38-minute wait, say "Hello, Washington Paid-" and then dead silence. I thought maybe it was my phone but nope, call ended. Reading through all these strategies is giving me some actual hope though! I'm definitely going to try the 8AM Thursday approach with everything prepared beforehand. It's absolutely insane that we have to become phone system ninjas just to access benefits we've been paying into with every paycheck, but I'm grateful for everyone sharing what actually works. This thread is a lifesaver - at least I know I'm not going crazy and there ARE people who eventually get through. Going to set three alarms for tomorrow morning and give it another shot!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - I just joined this community after finding this thread while searching for help with the exact same PFML phone system nightmare! I've been trying to reach them for 4 days about my family leave claim and have experienced those immediate hang-ups twice now. It's beyond maddening when you're already stressed about taking leave and just need basic answers about your application. Reading through everyone's strategies here has been incredibly helpful though - the 8AM sharp calling strategy seems to be the consensus, along with having everything prepared beforehand and immediately mentioning the previous disconnections to the agent. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need to become phone system experts just to access benefits we've literally been paying into through our paychecks, but I'm grateful this community exists to share what actually works. Planning to try the early morning approach tomorrow with all my documentation ready. Thank you for posting this - knowing so many others are dealing with the same broken system makes me feel less alone in this frustrating process!

I'm also dealing with this exact same PFML nightmare! Just joined this community after desperately searching for solutions - I've been trying to reach them for a week about my medical leave claim and keep getting those soul-crushing immediate hang-ups after long waits. Yesterday I waited 41 minutes only to have someone pick up and say "Good morning, this is-" CLICK. I literally stared at my phone in disbelief. Reading through all these strategies has been so helpful though! I'm definitely going to try the 8AM sharp approach tomorrow with everything organized and that upfront line about previous disconnections ready. It's absolutely insane that we need to become phone system strategists just to access benefits we've been paying into, but I'm grateful for this community sharing what actually works. The persistence stories are giving me hope - at least I know there's light at the end of this tunnel if I keep trying. Thank you for posting this and creating a space where we can all share our frustrations and solutions!

I'm currently going through this exact same frustrating situation! Been trying to reach PFML for almost two weeks about my bonding leave claim and it's absolutely maddening. The worst part is when you wait over an hour only to have someone pick up and immediately hang up - it happened to me three times last week and I honestly wanted to throw my phone across the room. Reading through all these strategies is giving me real hope though! I'm definitely going to try the 8AM sharp approach on Wednesday or Thursday with all my paperwork organized and that opening line about previous disconnections ready to go. It's completely ridiculous that we have to become phone system experts just to access benefits we've literally paid into through our paychecks, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing what actually works. The persistence stories from people who finally got through are keeping me motivated. Thank you for posting this - knowing we're all dealing with the same broken system makes me feel less alone in this nightmare!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm also dealing with the PFML phone nightmare - been trying for 8 days to get through about my medical leave claim and experiencing those same infuriating immediate hang-ups. Just this morning I waited 52 minutes only to hear "Hello, Paid Family Medical-" and then silence, call ended. I actually started laughing because crying wasn't helping anymore! Reading through everyone's strategies here is giving me actual hope though. I'm definitely going to try the 8AM Wednesday approach with everything prepared - application number, questions written down, and that smart opening line about mentioning the previous disconnections right away. It's completely insane that we need to become phone system ninjas just to access our own benefits, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real solutions that actually work. The success stories are keeping me motivated to keep trying. Thank you all for creating this resource - at least we know we're not alone in this broken system!