Can I claim unemployment if my hours are reduced in Washington - need help understanding partial benefits

Yes, you can absolutely file for partial unemployment benefits in Washington! When your hours are significantly reduced, you may qualify for partial UI benefits. You'll need to report your weekly earnings when you file your weekly claim, and Washington ESD will calculate a partial benefit amount based on your reduced income.

I went through this last year when my retail job cut me to part-time. The key thing is you have to be available for full-time work and actively job searching. Washington ESD will want to see that you're trying to find additional work to replace those lost hours.

Had a similar situation but couldn't get through to Washington ESD to ask questions about my specific case. Spent weeks calling and either got busy signals or got disconnected after waiting on hold. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really helped me understand my partial benefit eligibility.

the formula for partial benefits is kinda complicated but basically if you earn less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you'll get some partial payment. they subtract your earnings from your weekly benefit amount

IMPORTANT: Make sure your employer isn't trying to avoid paying into the unemployment system by reducing hours instead of laying people off. Some sketchy employers do this to avoid their UI tax rates going up. Document everything about the reason for your hour reduction.

I'm in the exact same boat! My restaurant job went from 35 hours to 12 hours per week. Filed for partial unemployment three days ago and already got approved. The process was actually pretty straightforward once I figured out how to report my part-time earnings correctly.

One thing to watch out for - if your employer offers you additional hours or shifts, you generally have to accept them or it could affect your benefits. Washington ESD considers refusing available work as a potential disqualification.

dont forget you still gotta do the work search requirements even with partial benefits... learned that the hard way when they put my claim on hold for not logging job contacts

This happened to my sister and she qualified for partial benefits. The key is being honest about your hours and wages when filing weekly claims. Washington ESD cross-checks with employer wage reports so don't try to hide anything.

Update on my earlier comment about Claimyr - just wanted to mention they were super helpful when I had questions about whether my specific hour reduction qualified for benefits. The agent explained exactly how Washington ESD calculates partial benefits and what documentation I needed. Worth checking out if you need to speak with someone directly.

Just to clarify the partial benefit calculation since there seems to be some confusion: Washington ESD takes your weekly benefit amount, subtracts your gross earnings for that week, and if the result is more than $5, that's your partial benefit. So if your weekly benefit amount is $300 and you earn $100 that week, you'd get $200 in partial benefits.

Make sure you file as soon as possible after your hours get reduced. Benefits are paid from the week you file your initial claim, not from when your hours were actually cut. I waited a month before filing and lost out on those weeks of benefits.

THE WASHINGTON ESD SYSTEM IS SO BROKEN!!! I've been trying to get partial benefits for months and they keep putting my claim in adjudication for no reason. Every time I call they say there's no issues but nothing gets resolved. This state makes it impossible to get help when you need it most!!!

Quick question - do you have to report tips if you work a job that gets tips? My restaurant hours got cut but I still make some tip money on the shifts I do work.

Been on partial unemployment for 6 months now due to reduced hours. The weekly claim filing becomes routine, but make sure you keep good records of your work schedule and pay stubs. Washington ESD sometimes does random audits to verify the information you're reporting.

For anyone still confused about this, the Washington State Department of Employment Security website has a section specifically about partial unemployment benefits. It explains all the rules and eligibility requirements pretty clearly.

wait so if i work like 10 hours one week and 20 hours the next week do i report different amounts each week? or do they average it out somehow?

This thread has been super helpful! I was worried I didn't qualify for anything since I'm still employed. Going to file my application tonight. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

One last tip - when you're filling out the weekly claim, there's a question about whether you're able and available for work. Even though your hours are reduced, you should answer yes as long as you're genuinely available to work more hours or find additional employment.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this discussion! I learned so much about partial unemployment benefits. Filing my claim tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly!

Just wanted to add that Washington also has a "SharedWork" program that might be relevant for some situations. If your employer participates in this program, they can reduce everyone's hours instead of laying people off, and employees can get partial unemployment benefits to make up the difference. It's worth asking your employer if they've looked into this option - it can be a win-win since they keep experienced workers and you get some income support. Not all employers know about it, but it's administered through Washington ESD.