How do you file for partial unemployment with Washington ESD when hours get cut?

Yes, you can definitely file for partial unemployment in Washington! You file the exact same way as regular UI benefits through the SecureAccess Washington (SAW) portal. The key is that you report your reduced hours and earnings each week when you file your weekly claim. Washington ESD will calculate your partial benefit amount based on your reduced earnings.

I went through this exact situation last year when my restaurant cut everyone's hours. The weekly benefit amount calculation can be confusing though - they have some formula where they subtract a portion of your earnings from your full benefit amount. I think you get to keep the first $5 you earn without any reduction, then they take away like 75 cents for every dollar after that?

Actually there's a much easier way to reach Washington ESD agents now - I found this service called Claimyr that calls for you and gets you connected to a real person. Check out claimyr.com, they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works. I used it when I had questions about my partial benefits and got through to someone in like 20 minutes instead of spending all day redialing.

The partial unemployment calculation in Washington works like this: Your weekly benefit amount is your full UI amount minus 75% of your gross earnings over $5. So if your full benefit would be $500/week and you earn $200 in a week, you'd get $500 - (75% of $195) = $500 - $146.25 = $353.75 for that week. You still need to meet all the usual requirements like being available for full-time work and doing your job search activities.

be careful with partial unemployment because if your employer finds out you're collecting they might fire you completely. happened to my friend at her retail job, manager saw it as her not being committed to the company

I've been on partial unemployment for 3 months now and it's been a lifesaver. My construction company went from 5 days a week to 3 days due to slow business. The extra money from UI has helped me keep my apartment. Just make sure you report your earnings accurately every week - they cross-reference with employer records so don't try to hide anything.

Wait, I think I was wrong about the calculation earlier. Let me double-check... I think it's actually that you can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction, then they start deducting? I'm getting confused with all these unemployment rules.

The most important thing is to file as soon as your hours get reduced. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file, so don't wait around thinking your hours might go back up. I waited 3 weeks thinking things would improve and lost out on those benefit payments completely.

Just as another option if you need to talk to Washington ESD about partial benefits, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier worked great for me. I actually used it twice - once when I first started partial benefits and again when I had questions about reporting overtime hours. Both times got connected to helpful agents who explained everything clearly.

One thing to watch out for - if your employer offers you additional hours or shifts, you're generally required to accept them or it could affect your benefits. So don't turn down extra work just to keep collecting partial unemployment. Washington ESD takes that seriously.

PARTIAL UNEMPLOYMENT SAVED MY LIFE LAST YEAR!! Sorry for caps but I get excited about this because so many people don't know it exists. When the restaurant industry was struggling my hours went from 35 to 15 per week and the partial benefits made up most of the difference. Game changer!

Just remember you still have to be actively looking for full-time work and available to accept it. Some people think partial unemployment means you can just coast with reduced hours indefinitely, but you're still supposed to be seeking full employment. Keep your job search log updated on WorkSourceWA.

Quick tip - when you file your weekly claims, be super careful about reporting your gross earnings, not net. I made that mistake for two weeks and had to call to get it corrected. They want to know what you earned before taxes and deductions.

I tried to use that claimyr thing someone mentioned and honestly it worked exactly like they said. I was skeptical about paying someone to make a phone call but after spending literally 6 hours over two days trying to reach Washington ESD myself, I figured it was worth a shot. Got connected to an agent in about 15 minutes and sorted out my partial benefit questions.

does anyone know if you can collect partial unemployment if you're working for multiple employers? like what if one job cuts your hours but the other stays the same?

For anyone confused about the earnings calculation, Washington ESD has a partial benefit calculator on their website somewhere. I used it to estimate what I'd get before filing and it was pretty accurate. Saved me from having unrealistic expectations.

One last thing - if your employer disputes your partial unemployment claim, don't panic. Sometimes they do this automatically without understanding the situation. I had to provide documentation showing my hours were reduced through no fault of my own, but once I submitted that everything was fine.

This thread has been super helpful! I'm in a similar situation and was worried about filing. Sounds like it's definitely worth doing and not as complicated as I thought. Going to start my application tomorrow.

If anyone needs help reaching Washington ESD after they file, I'll third the recommendation for Claimyr. Used it myself when I had issues with my partial benefit calculation and it was worth every penny to actually talk to someone who could fix my problem instead of getting hung up on after waiting on hold for an hour.