ESD claim issues - employer disappeared without providing pay documentation
Hey everyone, I'm in a really weird situation with my UI claim and hoping someone can help. I worked at a small preschool for about 8 months until the owner suddenly shut everything down three weeks ago with zero notice. She literally told us one day that the center was closing immediately and we'd 'be in touch' about final paperwork. Since then, she's completely disappeared and isn't responding to any calls or texts. My problem is that I filed for unemployment right away, but my claim is showing almost no wages because my employer never reported my hours correctly to ESD. To make matters worse, she never gave us paystubs the entire time I worked there (which I now realize was a huge red flag), and she's locked us out of the timesheet system we used to clock in/out. All I have as proof of employment are my bank deposits showing I was paid about $22,500 over those 8 months. No paystubs, no W2, nothing with my hours worked. When I log into my ESD account, my benefit amount is ridiculously low because it looks like I barely worked at all according to their records. Has anyone dealt with something like this? How do I prove to ESD what I actually earned when my employer has basically vanished and left us all hanging? I'm seriously stressed about making rent next month if I can't get this sorted out.
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Dmitry Sokolov
You definitely need to file a wage dispute with ESD. This happens more often than you'd think! Call the claims center and tell them you need to dispute your wage record because your employer didn't report correctly. They'll send you a form to fill out where you can list all your earnings. You can use your bank statements as proof - print them out and highlight all the deposits from your employer. Also file a complaint with L&I for the paystub violations - in WA, employers are required by law to provide itemized pay statements.
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Sofia Torres
•Thank you so much for this info! Do you know how long the wage dispute process usually takes? I'm worried about being stuck with the super low weekly benefit amount for months while they investigate.
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Ava Martinez
OMG this EXACT thing happened to my sister last year!!! Her boss at a pet grooming salon just closed up shop overnight and disappeared. She waited MONTHS trying to get ESD to fix her claim and they kept asking for documents she didn't have. Finally she contacted her state representative's office and they helped push things through. Also def report the missing paystubs to L&I like the other person said. That's super illegal and your ex-boss could get in big trouble!
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Miguel Ramos
•Contacting your state rep is actually really good advice. They have liaisons who work directly with ESD and can sometimes get things moving faster than if you're trying on your own.
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QuantumQuasar
You need to try reaching ESD directly to explain this situation. Their automated system isn't going to understand your unique circumstances. Start calling first thing in morning when they open (7am I think?). I wasted weeks trying to get through last year when I had a similar issue with missing wages. I eventually used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person at ESD without spending hours on hold. They have this service where they basically wait on hold for you and call you when an agent is about to pick up. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Once I finally talked to someone, they were actually super helpful and walked me through exactly what documentation I needed to submit for my missing wages. But getting through to them is the hardest part!
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Sofia Torres
•Thank you for the suggestion! I've been trying to call ESD all week but I either get the busy signal or it disconnects me after I go through all the menu options. I'll check out that service - at this point I'm desperate to talk to a real person.
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Zainab Omar
im going thru something similiar... make sure u keep filing ur weekly claims even while the wage issue is being sorted out!!!! i didnt know this and missed 3 weeks of claims and they said i cant get back pay for those weeks even tho my account was all messed up. also make sure u tell them u want backpay from the first week u filed since this isnt ur fault
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Sofia Torres
•That's good to know about continuing to file weekly claims. I almost stopped doing it because the benefit amount is so low, but I'll keep filing. Thanks for the tip!
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Connor Gallagher
In addition to what others have suggested, you should request a "Request for Wage Adjustment" form from ESD. You'll need to fill it out with your best recollection of hours worked and wages paid. Since you have bank statements showing deposits, that's actually helpful documentation. Also, under Washington State law (RCW 49.12.050), employers MUST provide itemized pay statements showing hours worked, rate of pay, etc. Your former employer has violated this law. You should file a complaint with the Department of Labor & Industries specifically about the paystub issue. This is separate from your unemployment claim but equally important for recovering any potential unpaid wages. One more thing - check if any of your coworkers have more documentation than you do. Sometimes comparing notes can help establish a pattern of employment that ESD will recognize.
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Sofia Torres
•Thank you for the detailed advice! I just found the L&I complaint form online and I'm filling it out now. I'm also reaching out to former coworkers to see if anyone has more documentation than I do. Two of us were texting yesterday and we're all in the same boat, but maybe someone kept better records.
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Yara Sayegh
everyone saying to call ESD lol good luck with that!!! i tried for THREE WEEKS straight last year and never got through once. the whole system is designed to be impossible to use. they dont want to pay you, thats the truth.
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Dmitry Sokolov
•While it can definitely be frustrating, ESD really does process and approve most claims eventually. The system gets overwhelmed sometimes, but there are ways to get through. Persistence is key - and documentation is your best friend when dealing with unique situations like this one.
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Miguel Ramos
One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - you can also try to estimate your hours worked based on your bank deposits. If you can figure out your hourly rate, divide the deposit amounts by that rate to get approximate hours. It won't be perfect because of taxes, but it's a starting point. Also, reach out to the state's Child Care Licensing department (DCYF). Since you worked at a preschool/daycare, your employer should have been licensed and they might have records of staffing plans that showed your employment. Those records might help substantiate your claim. Lastly, did you save any work schedules, text messages about work hours, or emails from your employer? Even seemingly minor communications can help establish your work pattern.
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Sofia Torres
•That's a really smart idea about checking with DCYF licensing! I hadn't thought of that. I was making $18.50/hour, so I can definitely work backwards from my deposits to estimate hours. I also have a bunch of work schedule screenshots on my phone that show my shifts - would those be helpful to submit too?
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Miguel Ramos
Absolutely submit those schedule screenshots! Any documentation that shows you were scheduled to work specific hours will help your case. Print them out and include them with your wage adjustment form. The more evidence you can provide, the better your chances of getting this resolved quickly.
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Sofia Torres
•Update: I finally got through to ESD yesterday! They're sending me the wage dispute forms and told me to gather all my evidence (bank statements, schedules, etc). The agent said it could take 3-4 weeks to process once I submit everything, but they'll backdate any adjustment to when I first filed. Thanks everyone for all your help and suggestions!
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