ESD partial unemployment timeline - reduced hours first payment

same boat! filed 2 wks ago (25 hrs now, was full time). still no $$$. the website is useless.

It took me about 4-5 weeks to get my first partial unemployment payment when my hours were reduced last year. The system seems to process reduced hours claims slower than full unemployment for some reason. Make sure you're filing your weekly claims correctly - you need to report ALL hours worked and wages earned each week, even at your reduced schedule. If your income varies week to week, calculate it exactly each time. One common issue is that your employer needs to respond to ESD to verify your reduced hours. Some employers are slow with this, which can delay everything. Your eServices account should show if they're waiting on employer verification under 'Issues and Decisions.

Partial UI claims due to reduced hours typically take 3-6 weeks for first payment in my experience. Here's why: 1. ESD must verify with employer that hours were legitimately reduced (not just requested by employee) 2. They calculate your benefit amount based on your base year earnings 3. They determine if your current part-time earnings still qualify you for partial benefits The most common delay is waiting for employer verification. If your employer doesn't respond to ESD's request within 10 days, you should definitely call ESD to see if they can expedite your claim. Also, make absolutely sure you're reporting your hours/earnings correctly on weekly claims - any discrepancies between what you report and what your employer reports will trigger an investigation and further delays. One tip: check your Determination Letter on eServices. This will tell you your weekly benefit amount and how much you can earn before benefits are reduced to zero. This helps you estimate what payment to expect.

I went through this last year when my restaurant cut everyone to 15-20 hours. Took almost 5 weeks to see my first payment, but then they paid everything retroactively from when I first became eligible. The most frustrating part was not knowing if I was doing something wrong or if it was just normal processing time. One thing that helped me get through to an actual person at ESD was using that Claimyr service (claimyr.com). It basically calls ESD for you and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent is about to pick up. Saved me from having to redial for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 I was skeptical at first but when I finally got through, the ESD agent found that my employer had responded but there was some discrepancy in the hours reported that needed to be cleared up. Once that was fixed, my payments started within days.

I think ur making a mistake somewhere. When i had reduced hours last winter it only took 7 days to get paid. Maybe ur not entering ur earnings correctly? If u earn too much in a week u dont get any benefits. Also did u do ur job search activities? U still need 3 per week even with partial unemployment! A lot of people forget that and get disqualified.

The whole ESD system is intentionally designed to be slow and confusing to discourage people from claiming benefits they're entitled to. I had my hours cut from 38 to 15 last year and it took SEVEN WEEKS to get my first payment. No explanation, no apology, nothing. And when I called, they just said "it's processing" like that explains anything. They also "accidentally" closed my claim twice for no reason. I had to call dozens of times to get it fixed each time. The ESD is broken by design, don't expect logic or efficiency.

My boyfriend's cousin had reduced hours and got paid after just 2 weeks! But my sister waited like 2 months when her nursing hours got cut. I think it just depends on your employer and maybe your work history? Some employers contest everything which slows it all down. Good luck!!

Just to follow up on the job search requirements: there is one exception that might apply to you. If your employer has given you a definite return-to-full-hours date within 8 weeks, you can request "standby" status, which waives the job search requirement. You'd need to specifically apply for this through your eServices account under "Request Standby." Looking at what others have shared, processing times really do vary widely for partial unemployment. The key factors that affect timeline: 1. How quickly your employer responds to ESD 2. Whether there are any discrepancies between your reported hours and your employer's reports 3. If your earnings are consistent or vary significantly week to week 4. Whether you've correctly completed all weekly claim requirements Given that you're at 3 weeks now with an 'approved' status but pending employer verification, I'd expect you'll see movement in the next 1-2 weeks unless there's a specific issue.