Can my former employer see my adjudication documents and rebuttals to ESD?

Yes, your employer will receive copies of most documents you submit during adjudication. ESD follows a process called "interested party disclosure" where both sides get to see evidence submitted by the other party. This is part of due process. If you submit those screenshots as evidence, your former employer will likely see them. However, this is necessary for a fair adjudication process - the adjudicator needs to evaluate all evidence from both sides to make a proper determination on your claim.

i went thru this last yr and my boss got ALL my stuff. he even called me yelling bout what I said in my statment!! not cool at all but my claim got approved anyway so whatevs

While both parties do get to see evidence submitted in the adjudication process, you should know that in Washington state, it's a good idea to submit ALL relevant evidence that supports your case. The text messages you mentioned could be crucial evidence if they relate to why you left the job or if they establish a pattern of workplace misconduct. If your claim gets denied and goes to an appeal hearing with the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), you'll want to have submitted all your evidence during adjudication. The judge might not allow new evidence that could have been submitted earlier. Remember that retaliation for filing an unemployment claim is illegal. If your former employer retaliates against you for exercising your right to file for benefits, that's a separate legal issue.

just curious, what kind of inappropriate texts did ur boss send? my manager has been doing similar stuff and im wondering if i should be saving them in case i need them later

I had a similar situation last month. Tried calling ESD for days to ask this exact question but couldn't get through. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an ESD agent within 20 minutes. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent I spoke with confirmed that yes, employers do see most documents, but they also told me I could specifically request certain sensitive items be viewed only by the adjudicator if there's a legitimate concern. You need to specifically note this when uploading though. Worth asking about!

One important detail I forgot to mention - any personal information like your SSN, bank account details, or medical information gets redacted before documents are shared with employers. ESD does have some privacy protections in place. Also, regarding those text messages - if they're relevant to your separation reason, they should be submitted. If they show harassment or a hostile work environment that led to you quitting, that could help establish good cause for leaving, which is critical in a voluntary quit situation.

The whole system is RIGGED against workers!! Of course they share everything with employers - the ESD is in the pocket of big business!!! I submitted evidence last year and my employer straight-up LIED about what happened in their response. The adjudicator believed them even though I had proof!!! Had to appeal to OAH and waste MONTHS of my life fighting for benefits I deserved. The system is designed to wear you down until you give up. FIGHT BACK and don't let them intimidate you!!!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to update after talking to my adjudicator directly. She confirmed that yes, my employer will see most documents I submit, but she also said I can request certain sensitive items be marked for "adjudicator review only" if they contain personal information beyond what's needed for the claim decision. I ended up submitting everything including the texts since they directly relate to why I left. The adjudicator actually thanked me for being thorough with my evidence. Still waiting on the decision, but feeling better about the process now. Thanks for all the advice!