Can I refuse a job offer paying 50% less than previous salary and still get ESD benefits?

This is definitely a tricky situation, but here's what you need to know about ESD's suitable work requirements. You can refuse work that doesn't match your training, experience, or previous wages WITHOUT losing benefits, but there are some important details to understand. According to ESD rules, after you've been on unemployment for a while (typically around 8 weeks), you may be expected to consider jobs that pay less than your previous position. However, a 50% reduction is substantial, and if you can demonstrate that the offered wage wouldn't cover your basic living expenses, you have solid grounds for refusal. When refusing an offer, document everything carefully - the exact offer amount, your previous salary, a breakdown of your monthly expenses, and why this creates financial hardship. If questioned by ESD, you'll need this documentation. As for companies reporting refusals - yes, some employers do report when candidates decline job offers, especially larger companies. But not all do, and the reporting isn't automatic or universal.

OMG im in the EXACT same boat!! my previous job paid $89k and i got an offer for $45k last week. i turned it down immediatly becuz it wouldnt even cover my rent and car payment. now im freaking out that ill lose my benefits!!! did anyone here acutally lose there unemployment after refusing a job thats way underpaid???

you need to be VERY careful here because ESD is looking for any reason to deny benefits. I know someone who lost ALL their benefits because they turned down a job offer and the company reported it to ESD. The system is designed to force people to take ANY job regardless of pay. If you're gonna refuse, make sure you have solid proof that the salary wouldn't cover your basic living expenses. Good luck, the system is rigged against us.

When I couldn't get through to ESD about a similar situation last year, I used Claimyr to connect with an ESD agent (claimyr.com). They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent explained that during the first 8 weeks of unemployment, I could turn down work that paid less than 90% of my previous wages. After that, it drops to 80%, and after 17 weeks, it's 75%. Your situation is way below these thresholds. The agent recommended I keep detailed documentation showing the difference between the offered salary and my financial obligations. When I added that info to my weekly claim notes, I never heard anything more about it.

I went thru this back in January. Got laid off from software engineer job paying $145k, got offered entry level coding job at $72k. I turned it down and kept my unemployment benefits! Make sure u told ur work search log that you applied for jobs matching ur experience level and previous salary range. I also wrote a letter about why the job wasn't suitable (needed senior level work, salary wouldn't cover mortgage, etc) and uploaded it to my ESD account just in case. The company never reported me so it wasn't even an issue lol

My sister works for ESD (not posting under my real name for obvious reasons) and she says they're actually short-staffed handling adjudications right now. Even if the employer does report you turning down the job offer, it would go into adjudication and might take weeks to resolve. You should absolutely document everything, but also know that many employers don't bother reporting refusals unless they're really motivated to do so for some reason.

Here's the exact legal standard from ESD regarding suitable work: 1. During the first 8 weeks of your claim, you can refuse work that pays less than 90% of your usual wage 2. From weeks 9-17, you can refuse work paying less than 80% of your usual wage 3. After 17 weeks, you can refuse work paying less than 75% of your usual wage However, there's another important factor: work is considered unsuitable if it "pays less than the higher of the state or federal minimum wage, or 75 percent of your usual wage." In your case, 50% is well below the 75% threshold, so you have a strong case. When filing your weekly claim, answer truthfully that you refused work, then explain that the offered wage was only 50% of your previous salary and would not cover your basic financial obligations. Keep documentation of: - The job offer details and salary - Your previous salary (pay stubs, W-2, etc.) - A breakdown of your essential monthly expenses While some employers do report refusals, many don't bother, especially for positions they can easily fill with other candidates. Nevertheless, honesty is crucial when filing your weekly claims.

wait so if i'm in my 5th week of unemployment and I turned down a job that pays 50% less, i should be ok right?? based on that 90% rule for the first 8 weeks?? i'm so stressed about this!!!

Be honest on your weekly claim but don't volunteer extra info. When it asks if you refused work, say yes, and briefly explain "Offered position at 50% of previous salary, insufficient to cover basic living expenses." Keep it simple. If they want more details, they'll ask. I've been through the system 3 times in my career and the key is straightforward answers without oversharing.

Does anyone know if the company HAS to report job refusals to ESD or is it optional? And how would they even know you're collecting unemployment anyway?

I had a similar experience last year when I was laid off from my marketing director position. I received an offer that was about 45% less than my previous salary, and I was terrified about refusing it. After consulting with a lawyer friend, I learned that Washington state actually has pretty strong protections for unemployment claimants regarding suitable work. The key is documentation - I created a simple spreadsheet showing my previous salary, the offered salary, and my monthly fixed expenses (mortgage, insurance, utilities, minimum debt payments). This clearly demonstrated that accepting the position would put me in a worse financial position than unemployment benefits. I reported the refusal honestly on my weekly claim with a brief explanation about the significant pay reduction. ESD never questioned it, and I continued receiving benefits without any issues. The employer never reported the refusal either. My advice: trust the system when you have legitimate reasons. A 50% pay cut is clearly unsuitable work, especially this early in your claim period. Document everything, be honest, and don't let fear push you into financial hardship.

I'm a newcomer to this community but going through something very similar right now. I was laid off from my accounting position three weeks ago (previous salary $78k) and just received an offer for $42k - about 54% of what I was making. Reading through everyone's responses here has been incredibly reassuring! From what I'm gathering, the key points are: 1. Document everything (salary difference, monthly expenses, etc.) 2. Be honest on weekly claims but keep explanations brief 3. The 90% rule during first 8 weeks gives us solid protection 4. A 50% pay cut is clearly unsuitable work I'm planning to decline the offer and report it honestly on my next weekly claim. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's really helpful to know others have successfully navigated this situation. The stress of potentially losing benefits while also not being able to afford basic living expenses is overwhelming, but your advice gives me confidence I'm making the right decision. Has anyone here had success appealing if ESD initially denied benefits for job refusal? Just want to be prepared for all possibilities.

I'm new to this community but currently facing a very similar situation. I was laid off from my software development position two weeks ago (previous salary $118k) and just received an offer for $58k - basically exactly 50% of what I was making before. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! The information about the 90% threshold during the first 8 weeks is exactly what I needed to know. I was panicking about potentially losing my benefits, but it's clear that a 50% pay cut falls well outside the "suitable work" requirements. I'm planning to document everything as suggested - the job offer details, my previous salary documentation, and a breakdown of my monthly expenses (mortgage, student loans, car payment, etc.). The math is simple: this salary wouldn't even cover my fixed monthly obligations, let alone living expenses. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and especially for the specific legal references. It's really comforting to know that others have successfully navigated this exact situation. I'll be honest on my weekly claim and keep the explanation brief but clear about why the position isn't suitable. One quick question - should I send a formal rejection email to the employer explaining my reasoning, or just decline politely without going into details about the salary being insufficient?

I'm new to this community and currently dealing with a very similar situation. I was laid off from my HR director position 3 weeks ago (previous salary $95k) and just received an offer for $46k - less than 50% of my previous compensation. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I feel much more confident about declining this offer. The information about the 90% threshold during the first 8 weeks is incredibly valuable - I had no idea these specific protections existed. Like many of you mentioned, I've calculated that this salary wouldn't even cover my mortgage and basic expenses, let alone provide financial stability. I'm going to document everything as suggested: the offer details, my previous salary proof, and a detailed expense breakdown showing why this creates financial hardship. One thing I'm wondering about - has anyone here had experience with how ESD handles situations where you're overqualified for a position? This offer was for an entry-level HR coordinator role, which is several levels below my experience and qualifications. Would that factor into the "suitable work" determination alongside the salary issues? Thanks for creating such a supportive space to discuss these stressful situations. It's reassuring to know others have successfully navigated this without losing benefits.

I'm new to this community but going through an almost identical situation right now! I was laid off from my financial analyst position 4 weeks ago (previous salary $82k) and just got an offer for $41k - exactly 50% of what I was making before. Reading through all these responses has been so incredibly helpful and reassuring. I was honestly panicking about whether I could refuse this offer without losing my benefits, but the detailed information everyone shared about the 90% threshold during the first 8 weeks makes it clear I'm well within my rights to decline. Like everyone else mentioned, I ran the numbers and this salary wouldn't even cover my rent, student loan payments, and car payment, let alone food and other necessities. It would actually put me in a worse financial position than staying on unemployment while continuing to search for appropriate work. I'm planning to follow all the advice shared here - document everything (the offer, my previous salary, monthly expenses), be honest but brief on my weekly claim, and keep detailed records in case ESD asks for more information. It's such a relief to know that others have successfully navigated this exact situation without losing benefits. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment to discuss these stressful situations. The legal references and specific percentage thresholds shared here are invaluable information that I couldn't find elsewhere!

I'm new to this community and unfortunately dealing with a very similar situation. I was laid off from my marketing manager position 5 weeks ago (previous salary $88k) and just received an offer for $44k - exactly 50% of my previous compensation. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening and reassuring! I had no idea about the specific percentage thresholds for suitable work during different claim periods. The 90% rule during the first 8 weeks gives me confidence that declining this offer is the right decision. Like everyone else has calculated, this salary wouldn't come close to covering my mortgage, student loans, and basic living expenses. I'd actually be in worse financial shape than continuing to collect benefits while searching for appropriate positions that match my experience level. I'm going to follow all the excellent advice shared here: document the offer details and salary comparison, create a breakdown of my monthly expenses, be honest but concise on my weekly claim, and keep everything organized in case ESD requests additional information. One additional question - has anyone had experience with recruiters reporting job refusals? This offer came through a staffing agency rather than directly from the employer. I'm wondering if that changes anything about potential reporting to ESD. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive space to navigate these stressful situations! The detailed legal information and real-world examples have been invaluable.

I'm new to this community but currently facing an almost identical situation. I was laid off from my operations manager position 3 weeks ago (previous salary $97k) and just received an offer for $48k - just under 50% of what I was making before. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful and honestly a huge relief! I was terrified about potentially losing my benefits, but learning about the 90% threshold during the first 8 weeks has given me so much confidence. It's clear that a job paying less than half my previous salary falls well outside the "suitable work" requirements. Like so many others here, I've done the math - this salary wouldn't even cover my mortgage, car payment, and student loans, let alone other living expenses. Taking this position would actually put me in a worse financial situation than continuing to receive benefits while searching for appropriate work that matches my experience and salary history. I'm planning to follow all the excellent advice shared in this thread: document everything (the offer details, my previous salary proof, monthly expense breakdown), be honest but concise on my weekly claim ("Declined offer at 49% of previous salary, insufficient to cover basic living expenses"), and keep detailed records ready in case ESD requests more information. Thank you all for creating such a supportive community and sharing your real experiences! The specific legal information and percentage thresholds mentioned here are invaluable. It's reassuring to know that so many people have successfully navigated this exact situation without losing their benefits.