How often does Washington ESD check your work search record - audit frequency?

Thanks for the info! Do you know what kind of things flag someone for an audit?

Usually things like inconsistent reporting, complaints from employers, or if you're selected for quality assurance review. Just keep good records and you'll be fine.

How long did the audit process take? I'm worried about my benefits getting stopped during review.

Took about 3 weeks for them to review everything. My benefits continued during the audit since I responded promptly with all the documentation they requested.

Screenshots are smart! I never thought of that for online applications.

yeah definitely screenshot the confirmation pages when you apply online, saves you if the company can't find your application later

Never heard of that service before. Does it actually work for getting through to Washington ESD?

Yeah it worked for me. Check out claimyr.com - they basically handle the calling process so you don't have to sit on hold forever or deal with busy signals.

Interesting, might try that if I need to call about anything. The regular phone lines are impossible.

Good to know about networking events! I wasn't sure if those counted as legitimate job search activities.

Yep, attending job fairs, professional meetups, even LinkedIn messaging can count as long as you document it properly with names and dates.

Excel sheet sounds perfect. I'm using a notebook but digital is probably smarter for backup purposes.

yeah digital is definitely better, easier to search through if they ask for specific dates

If they find serious issues, they could create an overpayment for the weeks where your job search was inadequate. Minor documentation issues usually just get a warning. Be honest if you made mistakes early on.

They're usually reasonable if you show good faith effort. I had some incomplete entries from my first week and they just made me provide additional documentation for recent weeks to prove I understood the requirements.

That makes sense. I'm only 2 months in so hopefully flying under the radar for now.

I was at 4 months when I got audited, so that timing tracks with what your case worker said.

Excellent advice! I learned this lesson when a company I applied to said they never posted the position I applied for.

smart thinking, never considered that job postings disappear

They can verify with employers but usually only do this if something seems suspicious. Most employers don't keep detailed records of who applied anyway. Just be honest about your efforts.

I think they mainly rely on your documentation unless there's a specific complaint. Keep your confirmation emails and you should be fine.

Yeah that's what I'm getting from all these responses. Just keep good records and do the actual job search work.

The documentation part seems to be the key thing everyone emphasizes.

How much does something like that cost? Might be worth it if I can't get through the normal way.

Check their site at claimyr.com for details. For me it was worth it just to avoid the frustration of busy signals and dropped calls.

You're not wrong about the psychological aspect, but they do need some way to ensure people are actually looking for work.

True, I just wish the process was more transparent about when and how audits happen.

That's reassuring to hear! I think I'm overthinking this whole thing.

Thanks for the specific list! I've been pretty vague in my records so I'll start adding more detail.

Also include any follow-up you did - like if you called to check on your application status a week later.

Good to know about the 12 week timeframe. I'll make sure to keep detailed records going forward.

Mine was only 8 weeks but 12 weeks sounds more thorough. Better to be prepared for the longer period.

yeah 3 per week is totally doable, especially if networking events and stuff count

Definitely better to have too much documentation than too little. The auditors appreciate thorough records.

I bookmarked their site earlier. Might try it if I run into issues with my claim.

Perfect summary! This thread has been really helpful for understanding the whole process.

Agreed, lots of good practical advice here. Feel much more confident about my job search documentation now.

That's really helpful to hear from someone who's actually been through the audit process! I like the idea of treating every week like I might get audited - that's a good mindset to have. Did they give you any feedback on what they liked about your documentation format, or any suggestions for improvement?

This is exactly the kind of real-world experience I was hoping to hear about! Your Google Sheet approach sounds perfect - I've been using a basic Excel file but might switch to Google Sheets for the backup/accessibility benefits. The fact that your benefits continued during the 2-week review period is really reassuring. I'm definitely going to adopt that "treat every week like an audit week" mentality from now on.

Thanks for sharing your actual audit experience! It's really reassuring to hear that the process was straightforward when you had good documentation. I'm at the 2-month mark now and have been using a spreadsheet similar to yours. One question - did they ask for any specific types of proof beyond your log, like confirmation emails or screenshots of applications? I've been saving those but wasn't sure if they actually review that level of detail during audits.

This is super reassuring to hear from someone who's actually been through it! I'm at 2 months right now and have been keeping a spreadsheet but wasn't sure if I was being too paranoid about documentation. Your "treat every week like an audit week" approach is brilliant - definitely going to adopt that mindset. It's good to know the benefits continued during your review period too. Did they ask for anything beyond your spreadsheet records, like confirmation emails or application screenshots?

This is exactly what I needed to hear! I'm about 2 months into my claim and have been stressing about whether I'm documenting enough. Your Google Sheets approach sounds smart - I've been using a physical notebook but digital backup makes way more sense. The "treat every week like an audit week" mindset is brilliant and honestly takes the anxiety out of it. Really appreciate you sharing the timeline too - knowing it only took 2 weeks and didn't interrupt benefits is a huge relief. Did they ask for any additional proof beyond your spreadsheet, like screenshots or confirmation emails?

Really appreciate you sharing your actual audit experience! As someone who's only been on benefits for 2 months, it's super helpful to hear from someone who's been through the process. Your Google Sheets approach sounds way better than my current notebook system - having everything digital and backed up makes so much sense. The "treat every week like an audit week" mindset is genius and honestly takes all the stress out of wondering when it might happen. Did they ask you to provide any supporting documentation beyond your spreadsheet, like confirmation emails or application screenshots? I've been saving those but wasn't sure if they actually review that level of detail.

This is incredibly helpful to hear from someone who's actually been through an audit! I'm at about 2 months now and have been using a basic spreadsheet, but your Google Sheets approach with those specific columns sounds much more organized. The fact that you got through the audit smoothly and your benefits continued during the review is really reassuring. I love the "treat every week like an audit week" philosophy - that actually takes a lot of the anxiety away since you're always prepared. Quick question: when they requested documentation for those 10 weeks, did they want just your spreadsheet or did they also ask for supporting evidence like confirmation emails or screenshots of your applications?

This is really valuable firsthand insight! I'm only about 6 weeks into my claim and have been worried I might be missing something important in my record-keeping. Your Google Sheets approach sounds much more professional than my current notebook method - I think I'll make the switch. The "treat every week like an audit week" mindset is brilliant and honestly removes so much of the uncertainty stress. It's really reassuring to know your benefits continued during the review period too. One thing I'm curious about - when they asked for documentation for those 10 weeks, were they looking for just your spreadsheet records or did they also want supporting proof like confirmation emails, application screenshots, or any other backup documentation?

Really appreciate you sharing your actual audit experience! I'm at about 3 months now and have been keeping decent records but your Google Sheets approach sounds way more organized than my current setup. The "treat every week like an audit week" mindset is such a smart way to think about it - removes all the guesswork and anxiety. It's great to know your benefits weren't interrupted during the review period. I'm curious about the same thing others have asked - did they want just your spreadsheet or did they also ask for supporting documents like confirmation emails or application screenshots? I've been saving some of that stuff but wasn't sure how detailed they get during the actual review process.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm about 3 months in and have been keeping a basic spreadsheet but your Google Sheets setup sounds much more thorough. The "treat every week like an audit week" approach is really smart - it removes all that uncertainty stress. Really glad to hear your benefits continued during the review. I'm wondering the same thing as others - did they just want your spreadsheet or did they ask for backup documentation like screenshots and confirmation emails? I've been saving those but wasn't sure if they actually go that deep during audits.

This is exactly the kind of real experience I was hoping to hear! I'm about 6 weeks into my claim and have been using a simple notebook, but your Google Sheets approach with those specific columns sounds way more professional and organized. I love the "treat every week like an audit week" mindset - that actually removes so much of the stress and uncertainty. It's really reassuring that your benefits continued during the 2-week review period. I'm curious about the same thing others are asking - when they requested those 10 weeks of documentation, did they only want your spreadsheet records or did they also ask for supporting materials like confirmation emails, application screenshots, or other backup proof? I've been saving some of that stuff but wasn't sure how thorough they get during the actual audit process.

This is such helpful firsthand info! I'm at the 2-month mark and have been keeping a spreadsheet but your Google Sheets setup sounds way more organized. The "treat every week like an audit week" mindset is brilliant - it totally eliminates the anxiety of not knowing when it might happen. Really glad to hear your benefits weren't interrupted during the review. I'm curious about the same thing everyone else is asking - did they just want your spreadsheet or did they also request supporting documentation like confirmation emails and application screenshots? I've been saving those but wasn't sure if they actually dig that deep during audits.

This is super helpful to hear from someone who actually went through the audit! I'm about 6 weeks into my claim and have been keeping a basic Excel sheet, but your Google Sheets approach with those specific columns sounds much more organized and professional. The "treat every week like an audit week" mindset is genius - it completely removes the stress of wondering when it might happen. Really reassuring to know your benefits continued during the review too. I'm curious about what others have asked - when they requested documentation for those 10 weeks, did they just want your spreadsheet or did they also ask for backup proof like confirmation emails or application screenshots? I've been saving some of that stuff but wasn't sure how deep they go during the actual audit process.

Thanks so much for sharing your actual audit experience! I'm at about 2.5 months now and this is exactly what I needed to hear. Your Google Sheets approach sounds way more organized than my current notebook system - I think I'll make the switch this weekend. The "treat every week like an audit week" mindset is brilliant and honestly takes away so much of the stress about when it might happen. It's really reassuring that your benefits continued during the review period. I'm curious about the same thing others are asking - when they asked for those 10 weeks of documentation, did they just want your spreadsheet or did they also request supporting evidence like confirmation emails or screenshots? I've been saving those but wasn't sure how detailed they actually get during the review process.

This is incredibly reassuring to hear from someone who's actually been through the audit process! I'm at about 2 months now and have been keeping a basic spreadsheet, but your Google Sheets approach with those specific columns sounds much more comprehensive. The "treat every week like an audit week" philosophy is such a smart way to approach it - completely eliminates the anxiety of not knowing when it might happen. It's really comforting to know your benefits weren't interrupted during the review period. I'm wondering the same thing as others - when they requested documentation for those 10 weeks, did they just want your spreadsheet records or did they also ask for additional proof like confirmation emails, application screenshots, or other supporting documentation? I've been saving some of that but wasn't sure how thorough they get during the actual audit review.

Absolutely agree! This thread has been so much more helpful than anything I could find on the official ESD website. I'm only about 6 weeks in but was getting really stressed about not knowing what to expect. The real experiences people have shared here - especially from folks who've actually been audited - make the whole process seem way less scary. I'm definitely switching from my messy notebook to a proper digital spreadsheet this week. The "audit week mentality" approach really resonates with me too - it's actually less stressful to just assume you might get audited and be consistently prepared rather than worrying about it randomly happening.