How long does an employee have to work to be eligible for Washington ESD unemployment?

The requirement isn't based on how long you worked at one job, but on your total earnings during your base period. Washington ESD looks at the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. You need wages in at least 2 quarters and total wages of at least 1.25 times your highest quarter earnings.

ya i think its like $3000 or something minimum you have to earn during that base period thing. my coworker got denied because she didnt make enough even though she worked 6 months

I've been through this process multiple times unfortunately. The base period calculation can be tricky to understand. If your sister has been working consistently for 8 months, she probably meets the requirements. Washington ESD will automatically calculate her base period when she applies. The key thing is having wages in at least 2 different quarters.

Pro tip - if she doesn't qualify under the regular base period, Washington ESD will automatically check the alternate base period (last 4 completed quarters). Sometimes people qualify under the alternate when they don't under the regular one, especially if they've been working more recently.

Just make sure she applies as soon as possible after being laid off. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file, even if you were eligible. And she'll need to be able and available for work and actively seeking employment.

The whole system is so confusing honestly. I spent hours on the Washington ESD website trying to figure out if I qualified and still wasn't sure. The base period calculator tool helped a little but I still had questions about my specific situation.

For anyone struggling to get through to Washington ESD by phone to ask these eligibility questions, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals when I needed to check on my claim status.

The earnings requirement can trip people up if they had irregular work schedules. I worked construction so some quarters I made way more than others. But as long as your total base period wages are 1.25 times your highest quarter AND you have wages in at least 2 quarters, you should be good.

wait so if i worked for like 3 months but made really good money does that count? or do you HAVE to work a certain amount of time?

One thing to watch out for - if your sister was fired for misconduct or quit without good cause, she might not qualify even if she meets the wage requirements. The reason for separation matters too.

THE WASHINGTON ESD SYSTEM IS SUCH A NIGHTMARE! I've been trying to figure out my own eligibility for weeks and keep getting different answers from different sources. Why can't they just make this simple?!

Just wanted to add that if your sister does qualify, she'll need to file weekly claims and meet the job search requirements. In Washington you need to make 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log of your activities.

my friend works at washington esd and she says they see people get denied all the time because they dont understand the base period thing. definitely worth looking up your wages on the eservices portal before applying to make sure you qualify

Another option if you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD directly is using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. I tried it last month when I couldn't get through their phone lines and it actually worked. Got connected to an agent who explained my eligibility status clearly.

I went through something similar with my brother last year. He worked temp jobs for about 10 months and was worried he wouldn't qualify, but he did because his wages were spread across multiple quarters. The Washington ESD eligibility isn't as strict as people think if you've been working consistently.

Just to summarize for your sister: 8 months of work should definitely be enough if she's been working consistently. Washington ESD looks at wages earned during your base period (first 4 of last 5 completed quarters), you need wages in at least 2 quarters, and total wages must be at least 1.25 times your highest quarter. She should apply ASAP since you can't backdate benefits.

One last tip - when she applies online, make sure she has all her employer information handy including dates of employment and reason for separation. Having everything ready makes the application process much smoother.

Your sister should be totally fine with 8 months of retail work. I had a similar situation and got approved without any issues. The Washington ESD system worked pretty smoothly once I understood the requirements.

If she runs into any problems during the application process or needs to speak with someone at Washington ESD about her specific situation, that Claimyr callback service is definitely worth considering. I've heard good things about it from multiple people now.