Can I get Washington ESD unemployment benefits for reduced work hours?

That's great to hear! Do I apply the same way as regular unemployment or is there a different process?

Same application process through the Washington ESD website. Just make sure to accurately report your reduced hours and wages each week.

How long did it take for your claim to get approved? I'm worried about the wait time.

Mine took about 2 weeks, but that was pretty standard. Just keep filing your weekly claims even while it's pending.

Two weeks? Mine's been in adjudication for over a month! The Washington ESD system is so backed up.

That's really helpful! How do I figure out what my weekly benefit amount would be?

It's based on your highest earning quarter from the past year. Washington ESD has a calculator on their website, or it'll show you the amount once you apply.

Wait, really? Even though I already have a job? How many job searches do I need to do?

Yep, you still need to look for additional work. I think it's 3 job search activities per week in Washington, but check the current requirements on the Washington ESD site.

This seems ridiculous. If someone already has a job, why make them look for more work?

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. I was skeptical at first but it actually worked - got connected within an hour instead of calling for days. Check out claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

I tried calling at exactly 8am when they open and still couldn't get through. The system is completely overwhelmed.

Oh no, what kind of mistake did you make? I want to avoid that.

I accidentally put down the wrong number of hours worked one week. They caught it months later and said I owed money back.

Same thing happened to my friend. She had to appeal the overpayment decision. Such a headache.

Six months? Is there a limit to how long you can collect partial benefits?

Same limits as regular unemployment - you get a certain number of weeks based on your work history. I think mine was 26 weeks total.

That's a common misconception! Partial unemployment is specifically for people whose hours or wages have been reduced through no fault of their own.

Yeah I didn't know this either. Wish I had known when my hours got cut last year.

Should I tell my boss I'm applying for unemployment? I'm worried they might not like that.

You don't have to tell them beforehand, but Washington ESD will contact them as part of the verification process anyway.

Good point. I've been putting it off but sounds like I should just do it now.

Definitely don't wait. I waited too long and missed out on weeks of benefits I could have gotten.

Is that service legit? Seems too good to be true that they can get you through when calling directly doesn't work.

I was skeptical too but it worked for me. They have some system that monitors when agents are available. Much better than hitting redial for hours.

That makes sense. I hope my hours do go back up eventually.

Yeah, and if they offer you more hours but you turn them down, that could affect your eligibility too.

Thanks for all the advice everyone! This has been really helpful. I'm going to start my application tonight.

Good luck! Remember to keep track of your job search activities and report your hours accurately each week.

How quickly did they get you connected? I've been trying to call for weeks.

Maybe an hour or two? Way faster than trying to call on my own. The video demo on their site shows exactly how it works.

Absolutely. I'm hoping this is just temporary until business picks up again at my job.