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Liam O'Donnell

Can you get unemployment if you were laid off from Washington ESD job requirements?

My company just eliminated my position last Friday after 3 years of employment. HR said it was due to budget cuts and restructuring, not performance issues. I've never filed for unemployment before and honestly don't know if being laid off qualifies me for benefits through Washington ESD. Do I need to prove it wasn't my fault? What documentation should I gather before applying? I'm worried about making mistakes on the application since I keep hearing horror stories about people getting stuck in adjudication for months.

Yes, being laid off definitely qualifies you for unemployment benefits in Washington state! That's exactly what UI is designed for - involuntary job loss due to lack of work. Since your employer said it was budget cuts and not performance, you should have no issues. Just make sure to file your claim as soon as possible since there's a one-week waiting period.

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Thank you! That's such a relief. Should I wait until I get my final paycheck or can I file right away?

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File right away! The waiting week starts from when you file, not when you receive your last pay. You can still receive your final paycheck and any vacation payout.

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Layoffs are the most straightforward reason for getting approved. I was laid off in 2023 and my claim was approved within 2 weeks. Just be honest on your application and keep it simple - don't overthink the questions.

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Did you have to provide any documentation from your employer or did Washington ESD contact them directly?

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Washington ESD contacted my employer directly. I just provided basic info like company name, supervisor, and reason for separation on the application.

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Make sure you have your employer's information ready when you apply - full company name, address, supervisor name, dates of employment, and your gross weekly wage. Washington ESD will verify everything with your employer anyway, but having accurate info speeds up the process.

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This is good advice. I made the mistake of guessing my exact weekly wage and it caused a delay while they verified with payroll.

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Good point - I'll pull up my last few pay stubs to get the exact amounts before I file.

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If you run into any issues reaching Washington ESD by phone during the application process, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which actually got me through to an agent in under 20 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really helpful when you need to talk to someone about your claim status.

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Never heard of this service before. Is it legit? Washington ESD phone lines are impossible to get through normally.

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Yeah it's legitimate - they basically keep calling Washington ESD for you until they get through, then connect you to the agent. Saved me hours of redialing.

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Good to know this exists in case I need help. Hopefully my application goes smoothly though.

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being laid off is literally the textbook reason for getting unemployment lol. youll be fine just dont lie about anything on the application

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Thanks, I just wanted to make sure since I've never done this before!

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One important thing to remember - once your claim is approved, you'll need to file weekly claims every Sunday to continue receiving benefits. You'll also need to document your job search activities since Washington requires you to make at least 3 job search contacts per week.

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Oh wow, I didn't know about the job search requirement. What counts as a job search contact?

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Job applications, networking contacts, career fairs, interviews - basically any legitimate effort to find work. Keep a log with dates and details.

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The job search thing is such a pain but you have to do it or they'll cut off your benefits.

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Since you mentioned being worried about adjudication delays - layoffs rarely go into adjudication unless there's something unusual about the circumstances. Quit claims and misconduct dismissals are what usually get stuck in adjudication for weeks or months.

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This is reassuring. My brother quit his job and his claim has been in adjudication for 6 weeks now.

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Yeah quitting makes it much more complicated since they have to determine if it was for good cause. Layoffs are straightforward.

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I was laid off from my retail job in December and got approved within 10 days. The hardest part was actually getting through to file the initial claim online - the Washington ESD website kept crashing. But once I got it submitted everything went smoothly.

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Did you have any issues with the weekly claims process? That's the part I'm most confused about.

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Weekly claims are pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Just answer the questions honestly about any work you did that week and your job search activities.

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Make sure you apply online through the official Washington ESD website, not any third-party sites. I've heard of people getting scammed by fake unemployment sites that steal personal info.

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Good reminder - I'll make sure I'm on the official .gov site.

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Ugh the whole system is such a nightmare even for straightforward cases like layoffs. Took me forever to get my first payment even though I was approved quickly. The bureaucracy is insane.

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I feel you on this. Even when everything goes right it's still a frustrating process.

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Well hopefully it won't be too bad. I just need something to help with bills while I look for a new job.

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Just to give you a realistic timeline - even with a straightforward layoff claim, expect 2-3 weeks from filing to receiving your first payment. There's the one-week waiting period plus processing time. Don't panic if it takes that long.

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That's helpful to know. I was hoping it would be faster but I guess 2-3 weeks isn't too bad.

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Mine took exactly 3 weeks from filing to first payment for a layoff claim. Pretty standard timing.

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If you need help reaching Washington ESD about your claim, there's this service called Claimyr that keeps trying to call them until they get through. I used it when I had questions about my weekly claim and got connected to an agent same day. Check out claimyr.com if you need it.

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How much does something like that cost? Seems like it could get expensive.

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It's worth it when you actually need to talk to someone and can't get through the normal way. Beats spending all day redialing.

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I got laid off and approved for benefits but then my employer contested the claim saying I was fired for cause. Had to go through a whole appeal process even though that wasn't true. Just saying sometimes even layoffs can get complicated if your employer is difficult.

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Oh no, that sounds awful! How did the appeal turn out?

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I won the appeal but it took 2 months to resolve. Hopefully your employer won't cause problems like mine did.

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This is pretty rare but it does happen. Most employers don't contest legitimate layoff claims since it doesn't affect their taxes much.

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You'll definitely qualify but make sure you understand the work search requirements before you start collecting. You have to be able and available for work and actively seeking employment. Can't just sit at home collecting checks.

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Yeah I plan to start job searching right away. I actually already updated my resume and started looking at openings.

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Good attitude! The job search requirement is 3 contacts per week minimum in Washington state.

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Another thing to keep in mind - your benefit amount will be based on wages from your highest earning quarter in the past year. So if you got any raises or bonuses recently, that could help increase your weekly benefit amount.

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I did get a small raise about 6 months ago, so hopefully that helps. Every little bit counts right now.

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The benefit calculation can be confusing but Washington ESD will figure it out automatically based on your wage records.

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Just wanted to mention that if you have trouble with the online application or need to check on your claim status, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier really does work. I was skeptical at first but it got me through to Washington ESD when I couldn't reach them any other way. They have a demo video that explains how it works too.

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I might need to try this if I run into issues. The horror stories about not being able to reach anyone are scary.

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Good to have options like this available. Hopefully I won't need it but it's reassuring to know it exists.

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One more tip - take screenshots of everything when you file your claim and keep records of all your job search activities. Having documentation helps if any questions come up later.

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That's smart advice. I'll make sure to keep good records from the start.

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Yes! I learned this the hard way when they asked me to verify some information months later and I couldn't remember the details.

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You should be totally fine with a layoff claim. The key is just being honest and providing accurate information. Don't stress too much about it - thousands of people go through this process successfully every week in Washington state.

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Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I feel much more confident about filing my claim now. Going to do it this weekend.

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Good luck! Feel free to come back if you have any other questions during the process.

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