How many weeks do you need to collect unemployment with Washington ESD?

Oh that makes sense, so it's more about total hours than specific weeks. Do you know if part-time work counts toward those 680 hours?

Yes, part-time work absolutely counts! Washington ESD looks at all your covered employment during the base period, whether full-time or part-time.

It's actually based on quarters and hours worked, not specifically weeks. The 680 hours can be spread across multiple jobs during your base period too.

ok thats good to know, i was worried about having gaps between jobs

Interesting, I've never heard of that service. How does it work exactly?

They basically handle the calling process for you and connect you with an actual ESD agent. Way better than trying to get through the busy signals yourself.

Sounds too good to be true... what's the catch? Do they charge a lot?

This is super helpful! So if I started working in March 2024 and file a claim in January 2025, what would my base period be?

If you file in January 2025, your standard base period would be January 2024 through December 2024. Since you started in March 2024, you'd have coverage for most of that period.

Wait, I thought it was different quarters? This is confusing...

I agree it's confusing at first, but the quarter system actually helps people who work varying schedules. Someone working 40 hours/week for 17 weeks meets the requirement, as does someone working 20 hours/week for 34 weeks.

I guess that makes sense when you put it that way. Still wish they explained it better on their website.

Yes, assuming you're making at least minimum wage, you'd have way more than the required 680 hours and $5,265 in earnings. You'd definitely qualify.

That's a relief! Thanks everyone for explaining this so clearly.

Good point! You can check your quarterly wage reports on the Washington ESD website to make sure your wages are being reported correctly.

yeah i wish i had known to check that earlier, would have saved me a lot of hassle

Yes, seasonal work counts as long as your employer was paying into the unemployment insurance system. All covered employment during your base period counts toward your eligibility.

Perfect, that should help boost my total hours then.

Did they actually help or is it just another way to waste money?

They definitely helped. I was able to talk to an actual ESD agent who looked up my account and explained exactly how my base period was calculated. Much better than guessing.

That gets more complicated. Generally you file in the state where you worked most recently, but wages from other states can sometimes be combined. You'd need to contact Washington ESD directly to determine how to handle multi-state claims.

Ugh, sounds like another reason I might need to actually talk to someone at ESD. Thanks for the heads up.

That's good to know! So they automatically check both base periods if needed?

Yes, if you don't qualify under the standard base period, they'll automatically check the alternate one. Really helpful for people who started working more recently.

Actually, Washington ESD gets wage information directly from employers, so you usually don't need to provide pay stubs unless there's a discrepancy. But it's still good to keep them for your records.

oh really? that makes it easier then. i was stressed about finding all my old stubs

At current minimum wage in Washington that would be... let me calculate... about 340 hours of work? Much less than the 680 hour requirement.

Exactly! So for most people the hours requirement is the bigger hurdle, not the earnings. But it's worth checking both.

How much did that cost you?

Worth every penny to actually get answers instead of sitting on hold all day. The agent was able to pull up my account and explain everything clearly.

Good point! I think I might get a small severance if I do get laid off. I'll need to ask about that when I file.

Yeah, definitely ask. The rules can be tricky depending on how the severance is structured.

Same here! Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this stuff.

Happy to help! These requirements can be confusing but once you understand the basics it makes more sense.

Thanks for that reminder! I'll definitely file right away if I do end up getting laid off.

Good plan. And remember you have to keep filing weekly claims even while waiting for your initial claim to be processed.

That weekly filing requirement catches a lot of people off guard. Don't skip any weeks!

Thanks for the recommendation. Might try that if I can't get through the normal way.

Worth having as a backup option at least. The demo video they have shows exactly how it works.