Can I still collect Washington ESD unemployment if I go back to work part-time?

That's a relief! Do I report the hours for the week I worked them or the week I get paid? I'm always confused about the timing.

Report them for the week you actually worked the hours, not when you get paid. So if you work Monday through Friday, report those hours on the weekly claim for that same week.

Oh no, that sounds terrible. How did they catch it? I want to make sure I don't make any mistakes.

They cross-reference with employer wage reports. Always better to over-report than under-report. The system is pretty strict about catching discrepancies.

Wait, is that gross or net earnings? I've been confused about this for weeks.

That's gross earnings - before taxes and deductions. Always report your gross pay amount when filing your weekly claim.

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Worked great for me - got connected in about 10 minutes instead of spending hours redialing. Check out claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Never heard of that before. Does it actually work or is it just another scam? I'm getting desperate here.

It's legit - I was skeptical too but it really did get me through when I needed to talk to someone about my adjudication issue. Way better than spending my whole day hitting redial.

Good to know! I wasn't planning to quit but that's important information. What counts as 'good cause' for quitting?

Things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or major changes to your job duties. But just not liking the job or wanting more money usually isn't enough. Better to keep working part-time while looking for something full-time.

Yes, you still need to meet the job search requirements. You need to make at least 3 job search activities per week and keep track of them. Working part-time doesn't exempt you from looking for full-time work.

Thanks, that's what I thought but wanted to make sure. The job search log is such a pain but I guess it's necessary.

You absolutely need to report it! Even temporary work has to be reported on your weekly claims. Not reporting work is considered fraud and can result in serious penalties.

Okay, okay, I'll report it. I just thought since it was so short it might not matter. Good thing I asked.

Working part-time doesn't extend your benefit year, but it can help you stretch out your total benefit amount since you're not using up your full weekly benefits. Your benefit year is still 52 weeks from when you first filed.

That makes sense. So I'd still have the same end date but potentially more weeks of partial benefits available.

That's encouraging! I was worried it would be complicated. Did you get a reduced benefit amount or did it show you the calculation somewhere?

Yeah, it showed the calculation right on the claim summary. My regular benefit is $380 and I earned $200 that week, so I got $185 in unemployment benefits. Seemed right to me.

Can you give an example? Math isn't my strong suit and I want to make sure I understand this correctly.

Sure! If your weekly benefit is $400 and you earn $150 gross, you subtract $5 from your earnings ($150 - $5 = $145), then subtract that from your benefit ($400 - $145 = $255). So you'd get $255 in unemployment that week.

What do you mean by 'trigger a review'? That sounds scary.

Sometimes if your reporting pattern changes dramatically, they might flag your claim for additional verification. Not a big deal if you're being honest, but it can delay your payments while they check things out.

Be as accurate as possible with your hours. If you worked 19.5 hours, report 19.5, not 20. Small discrepancies probably won't matter, but try to be precise. Check your timesheets or pay stubs to verify.

Good advice. I'll start keeping better track of my actual hours worked instead of estimating.

Oh wow, I didn't know vacation pay counted as earnings. I got a small payout when I was laid off but didn't report it. Should I be worried?

You should probably contact Washington ESD and let them know. Better to report it late than have them find out later. They're usually understanding if you're honest about mistakes.

I had that problem! My employer reported hours wrong for like 3 weeks. I had to call Washington ESD and provide my own documentation to get it sorted out. Keep your own records - pay stubs, timesheets, everything.

Ugh, taxes. I hadn't even thought about that. This is getting complicated.

It's not too bad, just means you might owe some taxes if you didn't have anything withheld. You can elect to have taxes taken out of your unemployment benefits to avoid a surprise bill later.

Good point! I'm on COBRA right now and it's expensive. I'll ask about benefits when I start.

Yeah, COBRA is brutal. Even basic health insurance through a part-time job might be better than nothing and cheaper than COBRA.

Same here! I feel much better about taking this job now. Thanks everyone for all the advice and sharing your experiences.

That's what this community is for! Good luck with the new job, and remember to keep detailed records of everything.

I was skeptical about using a third-party service, but honestly the Washington ESD phone system is so broken that anything that helps get through is worth it. Might have to try it myself.

I was skeptical too, but when you're dealing with time-sensitive benefit issues, sometimes you need to use whatever works. The video demo on their site really helped me understand how it works before I tried it.

Thanks for the reassurance! I'm definitely overthinking it. Time to just take the job and figure it out as I go.

Exactly! You'll learn as you go, and there are always people here to help if you run into issues. Welcome to the part-time unemployment club!