How does part time work affect unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

So it's gross wages, not what I actually take home after taxes? That seems like it would make the deduction higher than it should be.

Yes, always gross wages. The system doesn't care about your taxes, just what you earned before deductions.

That's super helpful! My weekly benefit is $350 so I could earn about $87.50 without any reduction. Working 15 hours at $18 would be $270 gross, so they'd reduce my benefits by about $137.

Exactly! You're getting the math right. Just make sure you report those wages accurately on your weekly claim.

Wait, I thought it was 50% reduction, not 75%? I've been calculating wrong this whole time!

This happened to my brother last year. He didn't report some cash work and ended up owing back $2,000 plus interest. Not worth the risk.

Definitely don't want to risk an overpayment situation. I'll make sure to report everything accurately.

How much does that cost though? I'm already broke, can't afford to pay just to talk to someone.

It's actually pretty reasonable considering how much time it saves. I spent weeks trying to get through on my own and this got me connected right away.

Yes, tips definitely count as wages. You need to report all income including tips, commissions, bonuses, everything.

great so now I probably reported wrong for the last three weeks... am I going to get in trouble?

You should call Washington ESD and correct those claims as soon as possible. It's better to fix it now than wait for them to catch it later.

Just report whatever you actually earned that week. The system will calculate your reduced benefit automatically based on those wages.

What if I work more than 32 hours in a week? I heard that disqualifies you completely for that week.

That's correct. If you work 32+ hours or earn more than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount, you get zero unemployment for that week.

Do you happen to have a link to that calculator? I've been looking all over their website.

I'll try to find it again. It's definitely there but their website navigation is terrible.

The point is to encourage people to find full-time work that replaces their unemployment completely. Part-time work is supposed to be a stepping stone.

Easy for you to say. Some of us can only find part-time work right now. The job market isn't great for everyone.

I agree it feels punitive. I'm trying to work part-time to keep my skills sharp but the benefit reduction makes it barely worth it financially.

You still need to do your required job searches. Part-time work doesn't reduce that requirement as far as I know.

Actually I think if you're working a certain number of hours it might reduce the job search requirement, but I'm not 100% sure. You should verify with Washington ESD.

That's a great idea. Do you track anything else besides wages and hours?

I also track the pay period dates and when I actually received the payment. Sometimes there's confusion about which week to report wages in.

You report wages for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid. So if you worked March 1-5, you report those wages on the claim for that week even if you don't get paid until March 10.

Oh no, I've been doing this backwards for months. I need to call them and fix this.

I might have to try that. I've been putting off calling because I know I'll be on hold forever.

Same here. The thought of sitting on hold for hours just to ask a simple question is exhausting.

You can work part-time for your entire benefit year as long as you're meeting all the other requirements like job searches and being available for full-time work.

Good to know. I was worried there might be some kind of time limit on partial benefits.

What counts as full-time for Washington ESD purposes? 40 hours or 32 hours?

Generally 32+ hours per week or if you're earning more than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount, you're considered employed full-time for that week.

You still report all gross earnings, but with gig work you need to track it yourself since there's no regular paycheck. I keep receipts for everything.

Do you report it based on when you earned it or when the platform paid you? Like if I drove for Uber on Sunday but didn't get paid until Wednesday?

Report it for the week you actually did the work, just like any other job.

Exactly! The problems come when people try to hide income or report incorrectly. If you're honest and accurate, the system works pretty smoothly.

Thanks, that's reassuring. I think I'll start applying for some part-time positions.

I hadn't thought about that. So I should probably set aside some extra money for taxes?

Yeah, or you can request additional tax withholding when you file your weekly claims. There's an option for that.

No, each week you file a claim counts as one week used, regardless of whether you get full benefits, partial benefits, or zero benefits due to excess earnings.

That seems unfair. If I'm only getting half my normal benefit, why does it count as a full week?

Because you're still receiving some unemployment compensation for that week. The system counts any week you file a claim, not the dollar amount.

I'm definitely going to check that out. I still have questions about how this all works and I don't want to mess anything up.

Same, I've been putting off calling Washington ESD for weeks because I know it's going to be a nightmare trying to get through.

Agreed! This has been super helpful. I'm going to start my part-time job next week and feel prepared now.

Glad we could help! Just remember to always report accurately and you'll be fine.