How long does an employer have to respond to Washington ESD unemployment claim before it gets approved?

Employers in Washington have 10 calendar days to respond to the initial claim notification from ESD. If they don't respond within that timeframe, the claim typically gets approved by default unless there are other issues flagging it for review.

I had the same situation last year. My employer never responded and my claim was approved after about 12 days. But if you're still seeing 'adjudication in progress' after 2 weeks, there might be something else holding it up. Have you checked your eServices account for any pending issues?

If you need to reach someone at Washington ESD about this, I'd recommend checking out Claimyr at claimyr.com. They help you get through to actual agents instead of spending hours on hold. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. I used it when my claim was stuck in adjudication limbo and finally got answers.

WASHINGTON ESD IS THE WORST. I've been waiting 3 weeks for them to process my claim and every time I call I get hung up on after waiting 2 hours. The whole system is broken!!!

Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while it's in adjudication. You won't get paid until it's resolved but you need to maintain those filings or you could lose benefits for those weeks.

Just to clarify the timeline - the 10 day period starts from when Washington ESD mails the notice to your employer, not from when you filed your claim. So there can be a few days delay between your filing date and when the clock starts ticking for your employer.

I work in HR and deal with these notices regularly. We always try to respond within the 10 day window but sometimes smaller companies don't understand the importance of responding quickly. If an employer doesn't respond, ESD will usually approve the claim unless there's clear evidence of misconduct.

Sometimes the adjudication takes longer if there are questions about your work history or reason for separation. Did you work for multiple employers in the last 18 months? That can complicate things.

I used Claimyr when I was having trouble reaching Washington ESD about my pending claim status. Worth checking out if you continue having issues. The phone system is notoriously difficult to navigate on your own.

Keep in mind that even after the employer response period expires, ESD still has to review everything and make a determination. So approval isn't always automatic even if your employer doesn't respond.

Have you tried calling first thing in the morning when they open? I've had better luck getting through around 8 AM.

Just went through this same situation last month. My employer never responded and my claim was approved on day 12. Hang in there!

The system is definitely imperfect but the 10-day rule for employers is pretty standard across most states. Washington ESD tries to balance giving employers time to respond while not making claimants wait forever.

Don't forget that if your claim gets approved, you should receive back pay for all the weeks you've been waiting, as long as you've been filing your weekly claims.

If you end up needing to appeal anything later or have other questions, definitely consider using Claimyr to help you get through to someone at Washington ESD. The regular phone lines are a nightmare.

Update us when you hear something! I'm in a similar situation and curious how long yours takes to resolve.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago. My employer didn't respond within the 10 day window, but my claim still took about 16 days total to get approved. The system can be slow to update even after the employer response deadline passes. One thing that helped me was logging into my eServices account daily to check for any updates or requests for additional information. Sometimes they'll ask for clarification on your separation reason or work search activities. Also, make sure you're documenting everything - screenshot your claim status each day so you have a record of how long it's been in adjudication. This can be helpful if you need to escalate later. Hang in there, it's frustrating but most claims do get resolved eventually!

I'm in a very similar situation right now - filed my claim 10 days ago and it's been stuck in adjudication the whole time. My former employer is notorious for being slow with paperwork so I'm not surprised they haven't responded yet. It's really stressful not knowing when (or if) the benefits will start coming through. I've been checking my eServices account obsessively but no changes yet. Has anyone else noticed if Washington ESD sends any kind of notification when they finally make a determination, or do you just have to keep checking until the status updates?

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - filed my claim about 8 days ago and it's been in adjudication status the whole time. Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful! I didn't realize that the 10-day clock starts when ESD mails the notice to the employer, not when you file. That explains why it might take longer than expected. I've been diligently filing my weekly claims like others suggested, even though I'm not getting paid yet. It's reassuring to hear from people who went through this and eventually got approved, even if it took a bit longer than the standard 10 days. The waiting game is definitely stressful when you're counting on those benefits to pay bills. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it helps to know I'm not alone in this frustrating process!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim 13 days ago and it's been stuck in adjudication status the entire time. My former employer is a small company and they're notoriously disorganized with paperwork, so I'm not shocked they haven't responded to Washington ESD yet. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually giving me some hope - it sounds like most claims do eventually get approved even when employers don't respond, it just takes longer than we'd like. I've been religiously filing my weekly claims every Sunday even though I'm not getting paid yet. The financial stress is real though - I'm behind on rent and really hoping this resolves soon. Has anyone found that contacting ESD directly actually helps speed up the process, or is it better to just wait it out? Thanks for starting this thread, it's helpful to know others are dealing with the same frustrating situation!

I'm currently going through this same exact situation - filed my unemployment claim 9 days ago and it's been sitting in adjudication status the whole time. My former employer hasn't responded yet either, which is typical for them since they're always slow with any kind of paperwork or official correspondence. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been really reassuring though! I had no idea that the 10-day response period starts when ESD actually mails the notice to the employer, not from when we file our claims. That definitely explains why it might take longer than expected. I've been making sure to file my weekly claims every Sunday even though I'm not receiving any payments yet - glad to see others confirming that's the right approach. The financial stress is definitely mounting, but it's helpful to hear from people who went through similar delays and eventually got approved. Fingers crossed mine processes soon! Thanks for asking this question - it's exactly what I needed to see today.

I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation right now! Filed my claim 12 days ago and it's been stuck in adjudication this whole time. My former employer is a larger corporation but they have a history of being slow to respond to government requests, so I'm not surprised they haven't gotten back to Washington ESD yet. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring - I had no idea about the nuances like the 10-day clock starting when ESD mails the notice rather than when we file. I've been diligently filing my weekly claims every Sunday as recommended, even though seeing that $0 payment amount each week is disheartening. The financial pressure is definitely building up, but it's comforting to know from everyone's experiences that most claims do eventually get approved, just not always within the timeframe we hope for. I might look into that Claimyr service if things don't move forward in the next few days. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories - it really helps to know we're not alone in this waiting game!