How many hours can you work while on Washington ESD unemployment benefits?
I just started receiving unemployment benefits from Washington ESD and got a part-time job offer for about 15-20 hours per week. I'm worried about losing my benefits if I work too much, but I also need the extra income. Does anyone know the exact hour limit for working while still collecting unemployment? I don't want to mess up my claim status by accidentally working too many hours.
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AstroAce
You can work part-time while collecting unemployment, but you need to report ALL hours worked and earnings when you file your weekly claim. Washington ESD doesn't have a specific hour limit - it's more about your total weekly earnings compared to your benefit amount.
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Andre Laurent
•So it's based on earnings not hours? That's confusing because I thought there was an hour limit somewhere.
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AstroAce
•Right, it's earnings-based. If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you won't get any unemployment that week.
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Zoe Kyriakidou
The general rule is you can work part-time as long as you're actively seeking full-time work and report everything correctly on your weekly claims. I've been working about 12 hours a week at $15/hour and still getting partial benefits.
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Jamal Brown
•How much do they reduce your benefits when you work part-time? Is it dollar for dollar?
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Zoe Kyriakidou
•No, they have a formula. They subtract your earnings minus $5 from 75% of your weekly benefit amount. It's complicated but you usually keep some benefits.
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Andre Laurent
•That formula sounds confusing. Is there an easier way to figure this out before I accept the job?
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Mei Zhang
I had similar questions and spent HOURS trying to get through to Washington ESD on the phone. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach an agent who explained everything clearly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.
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Liam McConnell
•Did they charge you a lot for that service? I'm desperate to talk to someone at Washington ESD but can't afford expensive fees.
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Mei Zhang
•It was worth it for me because I was losing sleep worrying about my claim. Much cheaper than potentially losing benefits by making a mistake.
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Andre Laurent
•I might try that if I can't find clear answers. The Washington ESD website is so confusing about the work rules.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
be careful about working too much!! i worked 25 hours one week and they disqualified me for 3 weeks saying i wasnt available for work. had to appeal and everything
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AstroAce
•That's usually about availability, not just hours. If you're working a schedule that conflicts with full-time job searching, that can be an issue.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•yeah they said my work schedule made me unavailable during normal business hours when employers would want to interview
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CosmicCaptain
The key thing is being HONEST on your weekly claims. Report every hour worked and every dollar earned, even cash jobs or gig work. Washington ESD has ways of finding out and the penalties for not reporting are severe.
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Andre Laurent
•What kind of penalties? I definitely don't want to risk that.
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CosmicCaptain
•Overpayment demands, disqualification, sometimes fraud charges if they think you did it intentionally. Not worth the risk.
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Giovanni Rossi
•They cross-reference with employers and the state revenue department, so they'll eventually catch unreported work.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
I think the magic number is around 32 hours - if you work more than that consistently they might question if you're really available for full-time work. But don't quote me on that, it might vary by case.
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AstroAce
•There's no official hour limit like that. It's more about your availability for work and whether you're genuinely seeking full-time employment.
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Dylan Mitchell
•I've heard different numbers from different people. Some say 20 hours, some say 30. Wish Washington ESD would just give us a clear answer.
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Sofia Gutierrez
You also need to make sure you're still doing your required job search activities even while working part-time. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week unless you're in certain programs.
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Andre Laurent
•Good point! I almost forgot about the job search requirement. Do I still need to do 3 activities even if I'm working?
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Yes, unless you qualify for an exemption. Working part-time doesn't excuse you from the job search requirement.
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Dmitry Petrov
•And make sure you log everything in WorkSourceWA - they audit those records regularly.
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StarSurfer
honestly the washington esd system is so confusing i just took the first full time job i could find instead of trying to figure out all these part time rules. seemed safer
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Ava Martinez
•I don't blame you. The rules are really unclear and everyone seems to have different experiences.
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Andre Laurent
•I wish I could do that but full-time jobs in my field are rare right now. That's why I'm considering this part-time opportunity.
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Miguel Castro
Pro tip: call Washington ESD early Monday morning around 7:30 AM right when they open. That's when I finally got through last month to ask about work hour limits. The agent told me it's really about total weekly earnings, not specific hours.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•I've tried calling early morning multiple times and still can't get through. Their phone system is impossible.
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Mei Zhang
•That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. Saved me weeks of trying to get through on my own.
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Connor Byrne
•Monday mornings are definitely better than other times, but you still need luck with that phone system.
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Yara Elias
I worked exactly 15 hours per week for two months while collecting unemployment and had no issues. Just reported everything accurately and kept getting partial benefits. The amount varied based on what I earned that week.
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Andre Laurent
•That's encouraging! What kind of work were you doing? Was your schedule flexible enough for job interviews?
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Yara Elias
•Retail work with evening and weekend shifts mostly. Left my weekdays free for job searching and interviews.
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QuantumQuasar
Just remember that even if you're allowed to work part-time, you still need to be available for full-time work and actively seeking it. If Washington ESD thinks you're not genuinely looking for full-time employment, they can disqualify you regardless of hours worked.
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Keisha Jackson
•How do they determine if you're genuinely looking for full time work? Is it just based on your job search log?
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QuantumQuasar
•Job search activities, availability for interviews, and whether you're turning down suitable full-time job offers. They look at the whole picture.
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Andre Laurent
•Good to know. I'll make sure to keep applying for full-time positions even if I take this part-time job.
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Paolo Moretti
The Washington ESD handbook says you can work part-time while receiving benefits as long as you report it properly. There's no specific hour limit mentioned, just that your earnings affect your benefit amount using their formula.
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Amina Diop
•Where did you find the handbook? I've been looking for official documentation about this.
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Paolo Moretti
•It's on their website under resources. Search for 'Unemployment Insurance Handbook' - has all the official rules.
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Oliver Weber
My cousin worked 30+ hours a week while on unemployment for months with no problems, but she was very careful about reporting everything and kept applying for full-time jobs. I think they care more about honesty than specific hour limits.
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Natasha Romanova
•30+ hours seems like a lot while on unemployment. Was she working multiple part-time jobs?
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Oliver Weber
•Yeah, two different part-time positions. Both employers knew she was looking for full-time work and were flexible with scheduling.
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NebulaNinja
If you're unsure about anything related to working while on unemployment, document everything. Keep records of hours worked, earnings, job applications, and any communication with Washington ESD. It'll help if questions come up later.
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Andre Laurent
•That's smart advice. I'll start keeping detailed records if I take this job.
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Javier Gomez
•Screenshots of your weekly claim submissions are also helpful. Sometimes their system glitches and you need proof of what you reported.
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Emma Wilson
Bottom line - there's no magic hour number. It's about earnings vs your benefit amount, staying available for full-time work, and being honest on your weekly claims. Take the part-time job if you need it, just do everything by the book.
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Andre Laurent
•Thanks everyone for all the advice! I feel much more confident about taking this part-time position now.
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Malik Thomas
•Good luck! Just remember to report everything accurately and keep looking for full-time work.
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