How long does Washington ESD mass unemployment claim processing take?

That's reassuring to hear. Do you know roughly how long it typically takes?

Usually 2-3 weeks for the initial determination, same as regular claims

How can I verify that my employer submitted everything properly?

You can call Washington ESD to check, but honestly the phone lines are always swamped. There's actually a service called Claimyr that helps people get through to ESD agents faster - check out claimyr.com. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Actually mass layoffs often get prioritized because Washington ESD receives advance notice from employers. Don't worry too much about it.

Really? That's actually kind of a relief. I was imagining all our claims getting stuck in some kind of backlog.

What's a WARN notice? Should I be asking my employer about this?

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification - federal requirement for mass layoffs. Your employer should handle it automatically but doesn't hurt to ask

Good point about WARN. If they filed properly, Washington ESD already has all your employment info which speeds things up considerably.

That's actually encouraging to hear from someone on the employer side. Do you have any tips for what we should watch out for?

Make sure you file your weekly claims even while waiting for the initial determination. And keep checking your account for any requests for additional information.

The phone situation is definitely rough. That's why services like Claimyr exist - they basically wait on hold for you and get you connected to an actual person.

never heard of that but sounds useful

So it shouldn't take longer than a regular claim then?

Correct. Sometimes faster actually because the employer paperwork is already in the system.

This is good to know. I was worried about the same thing when my department got cut last month.

No, each claim is processed individually even in mass layoff situations. The timing of when people file doesn't affect the employer paperwork that's already submitted.

Ok good because I know some of my coworkers were hesitant to file immediately

I get the frustration but honestly mass layoffs are one of the smoother processes in the system. At least the employer verification is already handled.

I guess that's something at least

I tried that strategy for weeks and still couldn't get through. Ended up using Claimyr to actually reach someone - worked like a charm.

Haven't tried that service but might be worth it if you really need to talk to someone

Good to know there are options if I run into issues. Hopefully I won't need to call at all.

Good reminder. I was so focused on the initial claim I almost forgot about the ongoing requirements.

Yeah, the weekly claims start immediately even while your initial claim is being processed.

That would actually be kind of nice - we could all celebrate together lol

Exactly! It's one of the few advantages of going through this as a group.

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. Thanks for sharing her experience.

No problem! The waiting is the hardest part but it does work out.

Good point. Involuntary layoff should be coded properly to avoid any issues with eligibility determination.

yeah exactly, seen that cause problems before

That's a good sign! 'Under review' usually means they're doing the final verification steps.

Nice! Sounds like your employer did submit everything properly after all.

Crossing my fingers it stays on track. This thread has been really helpful for managing expectations.

That's reassuring. I was worried it would be more complicated somehow.

Nah, if anything it's simpler because there's less ambiguity about the reason for separation.

Yep, I've been staying on top of that. Set a Sunday reminder on my phone.

Perfect. That's exactly what you need to do.

Thanks for the support. This community has been really helpful during a stressful time.

That's what we're here for. Keep us posted on how it goes!

I'll keep that in mind if I need it. Hopefully everything processes smoothly but good to know there are options.

Exactly. Better to know about it and not need it than the other way around.

That seems to be the consensus here. Feeling much more optimistic about the timeline now.

Good to hear! Sometimes the anticipation is worse than the actual process.