How to calculate gross wages for unemployment Washington ESD weekly claims?
I'm really confused about how to report my gross wages when I file my weekly claims with Washington ESD. I started a part-time job last week and need to make sure I'm calculating this correctly so I don't mess up my benefits. Do I include tips? What about overtime pay? I made $320 in regular wages plus $45 in tips, but I'm not sure if the tips count as gross wages or if there's something else I need to do with them. Also, do I report the wages for the week I earned them or the week I got paid? I really don't want to make a mistake and have to deal with an overpayment later.
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Nia Johnson
Yes, you need to report ALL gross wages including tips. For Washington ESD, gross wages means everything before taxes and deductions are taken out. Report wages for the week you actually worked, not when you got paid.
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Luca Conti
•Thanks! So for my situation that would be $365 total ($320 + $45 tips) for the week I worked?
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Nia Johnson
•Exactly right! Always round to the nearest dollar if needed.
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CyberNinja
make sure you keep track of your hours too, not just wages. washington esd wants to know both
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Luca Conti
•Good point, I worked 22 hours that week.
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Mateo Lopez
I had a similar situation and was getting conflicting information from Washington ESD phone reps. Ended up using Claimyr.com to get through to someone who actually knew what they were talking about. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.
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Aisha Abdullah
•How much does that service cost? I've been trying to reach Washington ESD for two weeks about my wages question.
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Mateo Lopez
•It's worth it just to avoid the frustration of their phone system. Much easier than spending all day redialing.
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Ethan Davis
•I used Claimyr too after seeing it mentioned here. Got through to an actual Washington ESD rep in under an hour instead of the usual all-day calling marathon.
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Yuki Tanaka
IMPORTANT: Gross wages includes overtime pay at time-and-a-half, commissions, bonuses, holiday pay, sick pay, vacation pay, and yes, tips. Basically if your employer reports it on your W-2, it counts as gross wages for Washington ESD purposes.
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Luca Conti
•What about cash tips that aren't reported to my employer? Do those count too?
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Yuki Tanaka
•Technically yes, all income should be reported. Washington ESD can cross-reference with tax records later.
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Carmen Ortiz
•This is why the system is so confusing! They expect us to track every penny.
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MidnightRider
Wait I'm confused about the timing thing. I got paid on Friday for work I did the previous week. Which week do I report it for on my weekly claim?
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Nia Johnson
•Report it for the week you actually worked, not the week you received the paycheck.
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MidnightRider
•That makes sense but it's different from what I thought. Thanks for clarifying!
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Aisha Abdullah
I made the mistake of not reporting tips once and Washington ESD caught it months later. Had to pay back benefits plus penalties. They're really strict about this stuff.
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Luca Conti
•How did they find out about unreported tips? That's scary.
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Aisha Abdullah
•They cross-check with employer reports and tax filings. Not worth the risk.
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Andre Laurent
Does anyone know if mileage reimbursement counts as wages? I drive for work and get paid back for gas.
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Yuki Tanaka
•True mileage reimbursement at the IRS rate usually doesn't count as wages, but if it's above that rate it might. Check with Washington ESD to be sure.
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Andre Laurent
•Thanks, I'll call and ask... if I can ever get through.
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Ethan Davis
The gross wages calculation tripped me up for weeks until I finally got clear guidance. For anyone still struggling to reach Washington ESD, I found Claimyr really helpful for getting through to someone who could explain the rules properly instead of just reading from a script.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•I keep seeing Claimyr mentioned on here. Is it legit?
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Ethan Davis
•Yeah it's real. They just help you get through to Washington ESD faster. Check out their demo video to see how it works.
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Jamal Washington
this whole system is ridiculous, why cant they just make it simple
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Carmen Ortiz
•I know right? It's like they want us to make mistakes so they can take our benefits away.
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CyberNinja
•probably not far from the truth tbh
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Mei Wong
One thing that helped me was keeping a simple spreadsheet with dates worked, hours, and gross pay including tips. Makes the weekly claims much easier to fill out accurately.
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Luca Conti
•That's a great idea. I'm going to start doing that this week.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•I do the same thing. Also take photos of my pay stubs just in case.
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PixelWarrior
If you're working part-time while on unemployment, make sure you understand how Washington ESD calculates your partial benefits too. It's not just about reporting wages correctly, but knowing how it affects your weekly benefit amount.
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Luca Conti
•Yeah I noticed my benefit amount changed after I reported wages. Is there a formula they use?
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PixelWarrior
•Washington ESD subtracts your gross wages from your weekly benefit amount, but you can still receive partial benefits if you earn less than your full benefit amount plus $5.
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Amara Adebayo
•The $5 disregard thing always confuses people. Basically you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount plus $5 and still get some unemployment.
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Giovanni Rossi
Be super careful with commission or bonus pay - sometimes it gets allocated weird if you get a big lump sum. I had to appeal because they thought I earned way more in one week than I actually did.
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Luca Conti
•How do you handle commission that covers multiple weeks?
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Giovanni Rossi
•I report it for the week I actually received it, but if it's a big amount you might want to call Washington ESD to explain the situation.
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Fatima Al-Mansour
Quick reminder that if you're self-employed or doing gig work, that income needs to be reported too. DoorDash, Uber, freelance work - all of it counts as gross wages.
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Dylan Evans
•What if you're doing cash jobs? Like helping someone move or doing yard work?
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Fatima Al-Mansour
•Technically all income should be reported, even cash work. Washington ESD considers it wages.
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Sofia Gomez
I was overthinking this so much until I realized Washington ESD just wants to know your total gross income before any deductions. Tips, overtime, everything. Keep it simple and report it all.
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Luca Conti
•Thanks everyone for all the help! I feel much more confident about filling out my weekly claim now.
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StormChaser
•Good luck! It gets easier once you get into the routine of tracking everything.
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Dmitry Petrov
For anyone still having trouble getting through to Washington ESD for clarification, definitely check out Claimyr. I was skeptical at first but it really works for getting connected to an actual person who can answer specific questions about wage reporting.
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Ava Williams
•Just looked at their website - seems pretty straightforward. Might try it next time I need to call.
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Miguel Castro
•I used them last month when I had an adjudication issue. Way better than trying to get through on my own.
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Yara Nassar
Just want to add that if you're working multiple part-time jobs like I am, you need to report the gross wages from ALL of them for that week. I made the mistake of only reporting my main job at first and got flagged for an audit. Washington ESD wants to see the complete picture of your earnings, so don't leave anything out - even if it's just a few hours at a second job.
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KhalilStar
•That's such an important point! I didn't even think about multiple jobs. I just started a second part-time gig on weekends and was wondering if I needed to combine everything. Thanks for sharing your experience - definitely don't want to deal with an audit!
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