How do I contact unemployment office - Washington ESD phone lines always busy

Right?! And then after waiting 2 hours they just hang up on you. There has to be a better way.

Try calling right when they open at 8am, that's usually your best bet for getting through

I've tried calling at different times but still can't get through. Is there any other way to contact them?

You can send messages through your eServices account but they take forever to respond, like 2-3 weeks

Never heard of that before, is it legit? Sounds too good to be true

Yeah it's real, I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Way better than sitting there hitting redial all day

How much does something like that cost though?

What's the employer hotline number? My issue is about job search requirements so maybe that would work

It's 855-682-0020 but they're pretty strict about only helping with employer-related questions

For overpayment issues you need to request an appeal within 30 days of the notice. Don't wait too long on that.

I KNOW that but I need to understand what the overpayment is for before I can appeal it properly!

same boat, got an overpayment notice last month and still trying to figure out what happened

Really? I would think afternoon would be busier. I'll try that tomorrow

Wednesday afternoons can work well, you're right. Monday mornings are definitely the worst time to call

50 calls?! That's insane. There's got to be a better way than that

yeah it sucks but what else can you do, they hold all the cards

What's the adjudication line number? My claim has been in adjudication for 2 weeks

The main number routes to adjudication, but you can ask to be transferred directly when you get through

adjudication took 6 weeks for my claim, just be patient and keep filing your weekly claims

30 minutes?! That's amazing compared to what I've been dealing with. I might have to try that

How does it work exactly? Do they just keep calling until they get through?

Yeah basically, they handle all the redialing and waiting, then call you when they have an agent ready to talk

That's actually smart thinking. I'll try calling around noon tomorrow

lunch time calling makes sense, most people probably call before work or after work

WorkSource can help with some things like job search requirements and workshops, but for claim-specific issues you usually need to contact Washington ESD directly

Figured as much but thought it was worth asking. Thanks for the info

omg that happened to me too! got disconnected right at closing time after waiting all afternoon

That's why you need to call early enough to get through before they close. They stop taking new calls about an hour before closing

Wait, there's a callback feature? How do you access that?

Sometimes when you call it gives you an option to request a callback instead of waiting on hold, but it doesn't always work

The callback system is inconsistent. They're supposed to call within 2 business days but it often takes longer

That's what I've been doing but my phone battery dies after a couple hours

Yeah you definitely need to stay plugged in. It's ridiculous we have to do this but that's the reality

Thanks for the update! I think I'm going to give it a try. Can't keep wasting entire days trying to get through

Glad it worked for you. I'm still a bit hesitant about using a third-party service but if it saves that much time...

Good advice! I never would have thought to ask that

Yes, always ask for a warm transfer. Cold transfers fail way too often with their phone system

Tuesday through Thursday are generally better. Mondays are busy with weekend issues and Fridays people rush to call before the weekend

That makes total sense. I'll avoid Mondays and Fridays from now on

Right? At least we're all in this together. Hopefully some of these tips will help us all get through easier

definitely not alone, the struggle is real for all of us

That's really smart. I should have been doing that from the beginning

Great advice. Also take notes during your call about what the agent tells you, including their name or ID number