Can I claim unemployment if my hours are cut at work in Washington?

Yes, you can definitely file for partial unemployment benefits in Washington if your hours are significantly reduced. Since you're going from 40 to 15 hours, that's a substantial cut that would likely qualify you. You'll need to report your weekly earnings when you file your weekly claim, and Washington ESD will calculate a partial benefit amount.

I was in a similar situation last year. The key thing is that your reduced earnings have to be below a certain threshold compared to your weekly benefit amount. Washington ESD has a formula they use - I think you can earn up to a certain amount before it affects your benefits.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about partial benefits, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me connect with an agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. It was way easier than spending hours on hold.

PARTIAL UNEMPLOYMENT IS SUCH A HASSLE! I went through this when my restaurant cut everyone's hours during the slow season. Washington ESD makes you jump through so many hoops and the weekly reporting is annoying. But yeah, you can definitely qualify with that big of an hour reduction.

Make sure you understand the job search requirements for partial unemployment. You still need to be looking for work and meeting the minimum job search contacts per week, even though you're still employed part-time.

One thing to keep in mind - your employer might contest your claim if they think the hour reduction is temporary. Make sure you have documentation that shows this is a permanent or long-term change to your schedule.

been there done that, partial UI saved me when my hours got slashed. just make sure you report everything accurately on your weekly claims or they'll come after you later for overpayments

For anyone still struggling to get through to Washington ESD for questions about partial benefits, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work. I used it twice when I had issues with my claim and both times got connected to an agent within a reasonable time frame.

The earnings deduction formula is kind of confusing. If your weekly benefit amount is $400 and you earn $200 in a week, they don't just subtract $200 from $400. There's a calculation that lets you keep some of your benefits even with part-time earnings.

This happened to my coworker last year and she qualified for partial unemployment. The process took about 2 weeks to get approved and she started receiving benefits pretty quickly after that.

One more thing - when you file your weekly claims, you'll need to report your gross earnings (before taxes) and the number of hours you worked. Keep good records of your pay stubs and hours.

The good news is that partial unemployment can bridge the gap while you look for additional work or a better job. It's not meant to be permanent, but it helps when you're in a tough spot with reduced hours.

I tried calling Washington ESD yesterday about partial benefits and couldn't get through after an hour of trying. The phone system is ridiculous.

Final tip - when you file your initial claim, make sure to indicate that you're still employed but with reduced hours. This helps Washington ESD process your claim correctly from the start.

Good luck with your claim! Partial unemployment really helped me when I was in a similar situation. The extra income makes a huge difference when you're dealing with reduced hours.

Just went through this exact same situation a few months ago! My retail job cut me from full-time to just 12 hours per week. Washington ESD approved my partial unemployment claim pretty quickly once I provided documentation of the hour reduction. The weekly benefit amount really helped cover the gap in my income. One thing I learned is to file your weekly claims on the same day each week to stay consistent - it makes the process smoother. Also, keep all your pay stubs organized because you'll need to report your exact earnings and hours each week.

I'm in Washington and currently facing a similar situation with potential hour cuts at my job. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful! One question I have that I didn't see fully addressed - when you're on partial unemployment and doing the required job search activities, are you required to accept any full-time job offer that comes up, even if it pays less than your current part-time position? I'm worried about losing the job I do have if I'm required to take something that might not work out. Also, does anyone know if there are any restrictions on what types of work you can search for, or can you focus on positions in your field/experience level?