Boeing layoff + severance pay + substitute teaching - How will this affect ESD unemployment eligibility?
My husband is part of the recent Boeing layoffs (his last day is Jan 17, 2025). We're trying to figure out the unemployment situation and I'm completely confused about how severance affects things. Boeing gives 1 week of pay per year of service, paid out bi-weekly (not lump sum). Does he have to wait until all severance payments end before filing for unemployment? To complicate things, he just finished his teaching certificate (yay!) but with school district hiring mainly happening for fall, he's planning to substitute teach until he can land a permanent position. Will taking substitute teaching jobs (which are sporadic) mess up his unemployment eligibility from the Boeing layoff? I tried calling ESD today but apparently they're not taking calls! Anyone dealt with this combination of layoff + severance + part-time/substitute work? Thanks in advance!
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Haley Stokes
You need to apply for benefits RIGHT AWAY after his last day!! Don't wait for severance to end. Washington state lets you collect unemployment while getting severance (unlike some other states). The severance might reduce his weekly benefit amount, but he should still qualify. As for substitute teaching - he has to report all earnings each week when claiming. If he earns less than his weekly benefit amount, he'll get partial unemployment for that week. If he earns more, no benefits that week BUT he doesn't lose future eligibilty. He just claims zero earnings for weeks he doesn't sub and can go back to full benefits. Make sure he does his 3 job search activities every week even during weeks he does sub work!!!
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Lia Quinn
•Thank you! That's a relief about the severance. Do you know if the fact that it's paid bi-weekly instead of a lump sum matters? And I didn't realize he'd need to do job search activities during weeks he's actually working as a sub. The whole system is so confusing.
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Asher Levin
not sure about the Boeing specific stuff but my cousin did substitute teaching while on UI benefits and it was a total nightmare with the reporting. some weeks hed work 3 days, some none, and the school district was terrible about getting him accurate hours/pay info in time for the weekly claim. ended up with like 3 overpayment notices cause he reported wrong info.
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Serene Snow
•This happened to me too! The district I subbed for took forever to update their payroll system. One tip: track EVERYTHING yourself - dates, hours, pay - don't rely on the district's records being timely. And always report based on when you WORKED, not when you got PAID. That distinction messed me up.
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Issac Nightingale
To clarify a few points about your specific situation: 1) Severance: In Washington, severance payments do NOT disqualify you from receiving unemployment benefits. Your husband should apply as soon as he's eligible (after his last day of work). However, depending on how the severance is classified, it may affect the weekly benefit amount during weeks received. 2) Substitute teaching: This is considered part-time/temporary work. He must report all earnings when filing weekly claims. If he earns less than his weekly benefit amount, he'll receive partial unemployment benefits. If he earns more, he'll receive zero benefits for that week but remains eligible for future weeks. 3) Job search requirements: He must complete 3 job search activities each week regardless of whether he works as a substitute teacher that week. The only exception would be if he formally requests and is approved for standby status, which is unlikely in this situation. 4) Boeing-specific benefits: Check if his specific Boeing layoff package includes any additional benefits through the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program if the layoffs were related to foreign competition or outsourcing. This could provide additional training benefits. One last thing - make sure he registers with WorkSource within one week of filing his initial claim.
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Lia Quinn
•This is incredibly helpful, thank you! Do you know if the way Boeing classifies the severance matters? They call it "layoff benefits" rather than severance. And I had no idea about the TAA program - I'll definitely have him look into that. Is the WorkSource registration done online or does he need to visit in person?
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Romeo Barrett
UGH THE ESD PHONE SYSTEM IS THE WORST!!!! I spent WEEKS trying to get through to someone when I had questions about my claim last month. Kept getting the "high call volume" message and disconnects. So frustrating!!
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Marina Hendrix
•I was in the same boat last month trying to resolve an adjudication issue. After days of getting nowhere with the regular ESD line, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual ESD agent in under 25 minutes. Completely changed my experience. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 For complex situations like yours with severance and variable income from substitute teaching, I'd definitely recommend speaking directly with an agent rather than trying to figure it out alone.
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Justin Trejo
Just wanted to add my experience as someone who was laid off from Boeing back in 2023. The way Boeing structures their severance actually made things pretty smooth with ESD. I started receiving benefits right away after applying (following my last day). They didn't reduce my benefits because of the severance payments! BUT...and this is important...make sure your husband keeps detailed records of all substitute teaching work. Like down to the hour. ESD is extremely strict about reporting part-time earnings and I've seen people get hit with fraud allegations over honest mistakes. Also, Boeing likely offered some career transition services as part of the layoff package. Make sure he takes advantage of ALL of that - there might be job search help that's better than what ESD provides.
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Lia Quinn
•That's really reassuring to hear from someone who went through a similar situation with Boeing! And great point about the career transition services - they did offer some resources that we haven't fully explored yet. I'll make sure he takes advantage of those.
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Alana Willis
substitute teaching is TRICKy with unemployment!!! i did it last year and some weeks i'd get calls for 5 days straight then nothing for 2 weeks. ESD wants you to be "able and available" for full-time work to get benefits but if you turn down sub jobs they can say your not actively seeking work! its a catch-22 situation honestly
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Issac Nightingale
•That's not entirely accurate. Working as a substitute teacher while on unemployment is absolutely allowed. The key is proper reporting. Each week he works as a substitute, he must report those earnings when filing his weekly claim. He should never turn down suitable work. As for being "able and available," ESD recognizes that substitute teaching is by nature temporary and variable. If he's willing and able to accept full-time teaching positions when they become available (and is actively applying for them as part of his job search activities), he maintains his eligibility during weeks with reduced or no substitute work. The important thing is consistency in reporting and continuing to meet the job search requirements regardless of how much substitute work he gets in a given week.
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Serene Snow
One thing nobody mentioned - make sure to check how the benefit year is calculated! If your husband starts claiming right after the Boeing layoff but then gets sporadic substitute work, his benefit year doesn't get extended. It's one year from first claim regardless of how many weeks he actually collects. So if teaching jobs typically hire in fall, he might want to time it carefully so he doesn't run out of eligible weeks before the next hiring cycle.
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Lia Quinn
•I hadn't even thought about that timing issue - that's a really good point. So even if he doesn't collect benefits during weeks he's subbing, those weeks still count against his total benefit year? Do you know if he could potentially stop claiming for a while and then restart if needed, or does it have to be continuous?
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Serene Snow
•Exactly - the benefit year is a fixed period (52 weeks) starting from when you first file, regardless of whether you collect each week. During that year, you can claim up to your maximum benefit amount. And yes! He can absolutely stop claiming during periods of regular work and then restart if he has another period without work, as long as it's within the same benefit year and he hasn't exhausted his maximum benefit amount. Each week he doesn't claim (even if eligible) just means those potential benefits stay in his "account" for later use within that benefit year.
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Justin Trejo
One more tip from my Boeing experience - make sure your husband files his initial claim immediately after his last day (like literally the next day if possible). Even though the severance will continue, the claim itself needs to be tied to the actual separation date from Boeing. Also, Boeing's layoff paperwork should include a clear separation letter that specifies it was a layoff due to lack of work (not performance). Make sure he has this document ready when filing as ESD might request it. When he starts substitute teaching, he'll need to report not just earnings but also hours worked each week. It gets complicated because substitute teaching days aren't all equal in hours, so keep detailed records. Lastly, severance payment schedules can sometimes cause confusion with ESD's systems. If he gets any notifications questioning his eligibility during weeks he receives severance, don't panic - just respond promptly with documentation showing it's severance pay, not wages for current work.
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Lia Quinn
•This is incredibly detailed and helpful! I didn't realize the separation letter needed to specifically state it was due to lack of work - I'll make sure he has that ready. The distinction between severance and current wages is also really important to know. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
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