ESD weekly claim confusion for per diem workers - system won't accept 0 hours
I'm running into a frustrating issue with filing my weekly claim as a per diem nurse. My hospital keeps me on their roster but sometimes I have ZERO shifts in a week (that's the nature of per diem work). When I try to file my weekly claim for weeks with no shifts, the ESD system is giving me grief! When I answer "yes" to still being employed but enter 0 hours and $0 earnings, the system keeps telling me to go back and change my answer in the "work for employers" section, saying I need to indicate I've ended work with that employer. But I haven't! I'm still employed, just didn't get scheduled that week. I've tried calling ESD multiple times but can't get through to a human being. I sent a secure message through the portal 3 days ago but haven't heard back. My claim week closes tomorrow and I'm afraid of messing something up or getting flagged for fraud if I answer incorrectly. Has anyone else who works per diem/on-call/as-needed dealt with this? How do you correctly report weeks where you're still employed but worked 0 hours? I'm scared to answer wrong and lose my benefits or get hit with an overpayment later.
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Josef Tearle
I had EXACTLY this problem last year when I was working event security (also per diem). The ESD system really isn't set up for our kind of employment situation. After a ton of frustration, I found out you need to answer "No" to the question about whether you worked for that employer that week if you didn't actually work any hours, EVEN THOUGH you're still technically employed by them. It feels wrong, but that's how the system is designed. The key question is whether you performed services for the employer that week, not whether you have an ongoing employment relationship.
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Charity Cohan
•That seems so counterintuitive! I'm worried if I answer "No" to working for them, it'll look like I'm no longer employed there at all. Did you have any issues with your claim after answering that way?
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Shelby Bauman
This is actually a common question for those with irregular work schedules. The ESD system is asking if you performed work for the employer that week, not if you're still employed overall. If you worked 0 hours, you should answer "No" to the question about whether you worked for that employer during the week you're claiming. You'll still list them as your employer on your overall claim, but for weekly claims, you're just reporting if you physically worked hours that specific week. The next time you DO work hours, you'll answer "Yes" and report those hours and earnings. This won't affect your employer status in the system. I've helped several clients through this exact situation.
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Quinn Herbert
•THis is the right answer!! I work seasonal construction and have the same issue during slow weeks. answer NO for weeks with zero hours. The system is asking did u WORK for them that week, not if ur still on their books.
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Salim Nasir
i had this SAME ISSUE omg!!! i work at catering company and sometimes have no shifts for weeks at a time!!! the esd phone lines are IMPOSSIBLE to get through!! i spent 3 straight days trying to get help and kept getting disconnected after being on hold for hours. so frustrating!!! 😡😡😡
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Hazel Garcia
•If you guys are having trouble getting through on the phone lines, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's a service that basically navigates the ESD phone system for you and calls you back when they reach an actual human. Saved me hours of frustration during my adjudication process. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Way better than spending days trying to get through yourself, especially when you just need a quick answer about something like this per diem reporting issue.
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Charity Cohan
Thanks everyone for the help! I still feel nervous about selecting "No" when they ask if I worked for my employer that week, but it sounds like that's truly the correct answer for weeks with zero hours. It's just confusing because I'm definitely still employed by them overall. I wish ESD would update their system to better handle gig workers, per diem, and irregular schedules!
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Laila Fury
I've been through this exact situation with ESD as an interpreter who works variable hours. Here's the official ESD guidance on this: For weekly claims, you're answering whether you performed work (services) for the employer during that SPECIFIC week - not whether you remain employed by them generally. If you worked 0 hours in a week, you answer "No" to performing work for that employer that week. Important: When you DO work hours in a future week, you'll answer "Yes" and list the same employer again. You don't need to go through the whole "new employer" process each time - the system will recognize them. Think of it as reporting "active work" versus "employment status" - they're asking about active work in the weekly claim form.
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Charity Cohan
•Thank you for explaining it so clearly! I'm going to file my claim today using this guidance. Really appreciate everyone who took time to help!
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Geoff Richards
be careful with this i did it wrong a few times and got hit with an overpayment notice for $4,200 later!!! took me almost 8 months to get it straightened out with appeals and everything. the system really is broken for ppl who dont work regular schedules.
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Josef Tearle
•Ouch, that's rough! Did they eventually fix it without you having to pay it back? My experience was that once I started reporting correctly (answering NO for zero-hour weeks), things went smoothly, but I can see how it could get messed up.
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Simon White
I have a somewhat related question if anyone knows - I'm also per diem but sometimes get called in for partial shifts (like 3 hours instead of 8). Does anyone know if there's a minimum number of hours I need to work before it affects my benefit amount? Sometimes I'm worried about accepting super short shifts if it means losing my whole weekly benefit for just a few hours of work.
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Laila Fury
•Yes, Washington has a partial unemployment formula. You can earn up to 1/3 of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction. After that, they reduce your benefit dollar-for-dollar for additional earnings. So if your weekly benefit is $600, you could earn up to $200 without reduction, then they subtract dollar-for-dollar after that. Always report all hours and earnings accurately - it's usually still beneficial to accept short shifts even with partial benefits.
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Hazel Garcia
I've been through the exact same thing with my substitute teaching job - some weeks I get calls, some weeks nothing. I spent over 4 hours on hold trying to talk to ESD about this! When I finally got through, they confirmed what others are saying here - for weeks with 0 hours, select NO when asked if you worked for that employer that specific week. It's confusing because we think of ourselves as continuously employed, but they're asking about actual work performance each week.
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Quinn Herbert
•its so dumb the way they word the questions!! they should just ask "did u WORK HOURS this week?" instead of making it so confusing for everyone!!
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Charity Cohan
UPDATE: I took everyone's advice and answered "No" to working for my employer during the week with zero hours, and my claim processed successfully! Benefits were deposited today. Thanks to everyone who helped. The ESD system really should be updated to better handle irregular work schedules, but at least I know how to navigate it now. For anyone with the same issue - answer "No" for weeks with zero hours worked, even if you're still employed overall.
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