ESD $0 determination for part-time instructor - Reasonable Assurance issue wrongly applied?

I've dealt with this exact issue! The 'Reasonable Assurance' rule is specifically for education employees, and ESD often applies it incorrectly to part-time instructors. The rule is meant for teachers who have summer break but have a job waiting in the fall. If you truly have no contract or guarantee of future work, you should qualify. The problem is getting someone to manually review your case. You need to submit an appeal immediately (you have 30 days from the determination date). Go to your eServices account, find the determination letter and click the appeal option. In your appeal, specifically state you have NO reasonable assurance of future work - no contract, no promise of classes, nothing. Also mention you've been continuously working and earning wages that should qualify you for a new claim.

I'm in the exact same boat right now! Part-time instructor at a technical college and got the same $0 determination with that reasonable assurance nonsense. I've been frantically calling all week and can't get through. It's so frustrating because THEY ARE WRONG but there's no way to tell them! Did you also get that automated message saying all agents are busy every single time you call?

After working at ESD for 7 years (not anymore), I can tell you this is a very common issue with higher education staff. The system automatically flags education employees because of the Reasonable Assurance provision in RCW 50.44.050. Here's what's happening: the system is ASSUMING you have reasonable assurance of returning to work after a break, which would disqualify you. You need to: 1. Submit an appeal as mentioned above 2. Get documentation from your college HR stating you have no reasonable assurance of future employment 3. Include proof that your last contract has ended with no new one offered This is considered a 'fact-finding' issue that requires human review. The system can't determine this automatically.

I went through something similar last year with the Reasonable Assurance issue. Took me 3 weeks to finally get it fixed. I recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach an ESD agent - worked for me when nothing else did. Their service connects you with an actual human at ESD without the endless waiting and disconnections. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Once I finally got through to an agent, they were able to immediately see that the flag was incorrect, updated my status, and my benefits started hitting my account within days. Definitely appeal too, but speaking with someone directly was what actually solved it for me.

didnt they change the rules for school employees recently? i thought i read something about that in the newspaper. maybe thats why ur getting the wrong determination. the system probably hasnt caught up to the rule changes lol classic esd

I HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM AND IT TOOK MONTHS TO RESOLVE!!!! The ESD system automatically flags ALL education employees as having reasonable assurance, even when we DON'T. The burden of proof is on YOU to show you don't have a job waiting. And guess what? You CAN'T prove it without talking to an actual human at ESD who can remove the flag! It's a RIDICULOUS catch-22. I ended up having to contact my state representative's office after waiting 3 MONTHS for a response to my appeal. This is how they save money - make it impossible to actually get benefits!!

Just adding something important: make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while this is being sorted out! If you stop filing and then get your monetary determination fixed later, you can't go back and claim those weeks. So keep filing even though it's currently showing $0. When they fix the issue, they'll pay you for all those weeks you properly claimed.

has anyone used that service that the person mentioned above? Claimyr? sounds kinda sketchy to me... like how does it actually work? do they just call for you or something?

I want to clarify something important about the 'did not return to work and earn enough to qualify' message. This is separate from the Reasonable Assurance issue. It means the system is saying you didn't earn enough in your base year to qualify for a new UI claim. If your previous benefit year ended and you're filing a new claim, you need to have worked and earned wages in at least 680 hours during your base year. Double-check your base year wages in eServices to verify you met this requirement. If the information there is incorrect, you'll need to address that as well.

Have you tried going to WorkSource? Sometimes they have ESD people there who can look at your claim without going through the phone nightmare. That's what I did last year when I had an issue with my claim.