How many hours do you have to work for Washington ESD unemployment benefits?
I'm trying to figure out the work hour requirements for unemployment in Washington. I've been working part-time at two different jobs - one retail job averaging about 15 hours a week and another cleaning job that's maybe 8-10 hours weekly. My retail job just cut my hours way down and I'm wondering if I can file for unemployment? Do they look at total hours worked or is there a minimum per job? I'm really confused about how Washington ESD calculates this stuff.
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Jamal Thompson
Washington ESD doesn't have a specific minimum hours requirement like some people think. They look at your earnings during your base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). You need to have earned at least $1,014 in your highest earning quarter and total earnings of at least 1.5 times that amount across the base period.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•So it's about earnings not hours? That's actually helpful because I made decent money even though my hours varied a lot.
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Mei Chen
•Yeah exactly, they don't care if you worked 40 hours at minimum wage or 20 hours at a higher rate. It's all about the dollar amounts in your base period.
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CosmicCadet
You also have to be able and available for work, which means ready to work full-time unless you're approved for part-time work search. If you're only looking for part-time work you need to get that approved by Washington ESD first.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•How do you get approved for part-time work search? I have childcare limitations so full-time isn't really possible right now.
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CosmicCadet
•You'll need to contact Washington ESD directly to request part-time approval. They'll want documentation of your limitations and you'll still need to show you're actively searching within your availability.
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Liam O'Connor
I had a similar situation last year. The hardest part was actually getting through to someone at Washington ESD to verify my eligibility. I must have called 200+ times over two weeks. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration.
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Amara Adeyemi
•Never heard of that service. Did they charge you anything? Seems too good to be true.
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Liam O'Connor
•Yeah they do charge but honestly it was worth it after weeks of getting nowhere with the regular phone lines. Got through to an agent the same day I used their service.
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Giovanni Gallo
•I'm so tired of calling Washington ESD and getting hung up on or waiting forever. Might have to try this Claimyr thing myself.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
The key thing is when you file, you'll need to report ANY work and earnings during your weekly claims, even if it's just a few hours. Washington ESD will calculate your partial benefit amount based on what you earn that week. Don't skip reporting work thinking it's too little - that can cause overpayment issues later.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•Good to know! So if I'm still working my cleaning job part-time I can still collect some unemployment from losing hours at the retail job?
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
•Exactly. You might qualify for partial benefits. The formula is a bit complex but basically if you earn less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5, you'll get some payment.
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Dylan Wright
ugh the whole system is so confusing!! I've been trying to figure this out for my sister who got her hours cut at the restaurant. She's working like 12 hours a week now when she used to work 35. It's not fair that people have to jump through all these hoops just to get help.
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Jamal Thompson
•I get the frustration but the requirements are actually pretty straightforward once you understand them. Your sister should definitely file if her hours got cut that much.
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Dylan Wright
•she tried calling washington esd but keeps getting disconnected. this whole thing is ridiculous
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Mei Chen
•Have her try calling right at 8am when they open. Sometimes that helps avoid the busy signals.
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NebulaKnight
You mentioned two jobs - just make sure you report the separation reason correctly for each job when you file. If one job reduced your hours significantly and the other ended completely, those are different separation types and Washington ESD needs to know the details for both.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•Oh I didn't think about that. The retail job just cut my schedule way back but I'm still technically employed there. The cleaning job is still the same hours.
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NebulaKnight
•Yeah that would be 'lack of work' for the retail job. Make sure you're clear about that when filing because it affects how they process your claim.
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Sofia Ramirez
Also don't forget you'll need to do job search activities every week. It's 3 job search activities per week unless you're in approved training or have other exemptions. Keep good records of your job searches because they audit randomly.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•What counts as a job search activity? Just applying for jobs or other stuff too?
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Sofia Ramirez
•Applying for jobs, networking events, career fairs, informational interviews, etc. Check the WorkSource website for the full list. They're pretty specific about what counts.
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Dmitry Popov
•I always wondered about this - do they actually check your job search log or is it just on the honor system?
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Sofia Ramirez
•They definitely check! I got selected for an audit last year and had to provide documentation for every single job search activity I claimed. Be honest and keep good records.
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Ava Rodriguez
Quick question - are you sure both your jobs were paying into unemployment insurance? Some employers try to classify workers as independent contractors to avoid paying UI taxes. If that's the case those earnings might not count toward your base period.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•I get W-2s from both jobs and they take taxes out of my paychecks so I think they're regular employee positions.
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Ava Rodriguez
•Good, that means you should be covered. Just wanted to make sure because I've seen people get surprised when their 1099 work doesn't count.
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Miguel Ortiz
The earnings requirement is really the main thing. I qualified with just working about 25 hours a week because I made decent money. My neighbor worked 40 hours but at minimum wage and barely qualified. It really is about the dollar amounts not the hours.
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Zainab Khalil
•That's actually pretty fair when you think about it. Someone working fewer hours but making more money probably has higher expenses to match.
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Miguel Ortiz
•Exactly. Plus the benefits are based on your earnings too so higher earners get higher weekly amounts.
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QuantumQuest
I'm dealing with something similar but my employer is being weird about whether I quit or got fired. They reduced my hours to basically nothing then said I 'abandoned my job' when I found other work. Anyone know how Washington ESD handles situations like that?
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Jamal Thompson
•That sounds like constructive dismissal. If they reduced your hours so much that you had to find other work, you might still qualify. You'd need to explain the situation clearly when you file.
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QuantumQuest
•Thanks, I'll make sure to document everything. I have texts from my manager about the schedule changes.
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Connor Murphy
For anyone having trouble getting through to Washington ESD by phone, I recently discovered this service that helps you get connected to agents. It's called Claimyr and their website is claimyr.com. They basically wait on hold for you and call you back when an agent is available. Saved me literally hours of sitting on the phone.
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Yara Haddad
•Is this legit? Seems like there should be a free way to reach a government agency.
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Connor Murphy
•Yeah it costs money but honestly the time savings was worth it for me. I was missing work trying to call during business hours and getting nowhere.
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Keisha Robinson
•I might try this. I've been calling for weeks about an adjudication issue and can never get through.
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Paolo Conti
Don't overthink the work requirements. If you've been working regularly and paying taxes, you probably qualify for something. The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator that can give you an estimate of what you might receive.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•I tried using that calculator but got confused about which quarters to use for the base period. Is it calendar quarters or something else?
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Paolo Conti
•It's calendar quarters. So if you file in Q1 2025, your base period would be Q1 2024 through Q4 2024. The calculator should walk you through it.
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Amina Sow
One more thing - make sure you file your claim as soon as possible after your hours get reduced. Benefits don't backdate automatically and you don't want to lose out on weeks you could have been collecting.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•Good point. My retail hours got cut about 3 weeks ago but I kept hoping they'd pick back up. Sounds like I should have filed right away.
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Amina Sow
•Yeah, they might backdate it but you'd have to request that specifically and provide a good reason for the delay. Better to file sooner rather than later.
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GalaxyGazer
I was in a similar situation with multiple part-time jobs. The adjudication process took forever because they had to verify employment with both employers. Be prepared for potential delays if your work history is complicated.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•How long did your adjudication take? I'm worried about how long it might be before I see any money.
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GalaxyGazer
•About 6 weeks for me, but this was during peak season. Could be faster now. The waiting is definitely the worst part.
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Oliver Wagner
Just want to add that if you're working reduced hours, you need to still be available for additional work. Washington ESD might ask if you're turning down shifts or refusing overtime. Make sure you can show you're willing to work more hours if available.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•That makes sense. I definitely want more hours if my retail job offers them. I'll make sure to document that.
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