How will Washington ESD know if I turn down a job offer - do I have to report it?

You're required to report any job offers you receive and decline when you file your weekly claim. There's literally a question about it on the form.

Washington ESD can find out about declined job offers in several ways. Employers sometimes report when someone turns down an offer, especially if they're working with WorkSource or other job placement agencies. Plus you're supposed to disclose it anyway.

The good news is you can decline job offers that don't meet Washington's 'suitable work' requirements. Generally after the first few weeks, suitable work means jobs that pay at least 70% of your previous wage and are in your field or use your skills. A 40% pay cut would likely not be considered suitable work.

I had a similar situation last year and tried calling Washington ESD to ask about it but could never get through. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Found this service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to an agent in like 20 minutes. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Wait, employers can actually report that you turned down offers? That seems like it would discourage people from even interviewing.

The bigger issue is that Washington ESD can do random audits of your job search activities. If they audit you and find out you didn't report a declined offer, that's when you get in trouble. It's better to be honest upfront.

Here's what I'd recommend: when you file your weekly claim, answer honestly that you declined a job offer. In the comments section, explain that it didn't meet suitable work criteria due to the significant pay reduction. Keep documentation of the offer including the salary details.

This whole thing is ridiculous. We're supposed to take any job no matter how bad it is or lose our benefits. What's the point of having standards?

I'm curious - did they give you a reason for the low salary? Sometimes employers lowball unemployment recipients thinking they're desperate.

Can you appeal if Washington ESD decides the job was suitable and you should have taken it?

I turned down a job once and Washington ESD never said anything about it. But I was honest about it on my weekly claim.

Just wanted to add - when I used Claimyr to talk to an agent, they told me that the suitable work criteria are pretty reasonable in the first few months of a claim. Don't stress too much about declining obviously unsuitable offers.

Still think the whole system is designed to push people off benefits as quickly as possible.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm going to decline the offer and be honest about it on my weekly claim. I'll make sure to document why it wasn't suitable work. This has been really helpful!

One more thing - make sure you're still doing your required job search activities. Declining one unsuitable offer doesn't mean you can slack off on looking for appropriate work.

Does anyone know if there's a limit to how many job offers you can decline before it becomes a problem?

The fact that you're even asking these questions shows you're trying to do the right thing. That matters.

Good luck with your job search! Sounds like you're handling this the right way.

If you do need to talk to Washington ESD about this or any other issues, definitely check out that Claimyr service I mentioned. Made my life so much easier when I had questions.

Final reminder - always be honest on your weekly claims and keep good records. Those two things will protect you in almost any situation with Washington ESD.

I went through something similar a few months ago. The key thing to remember is that Washington ESD actually wants you to decline unsuitable work - that's why the suitable work criteria exist in the first place. A 40% pay cut would almost certainly qualify as unsuitable, especially if you're only 2 months into your claim. When you file your weekly claim, just answer honestly that you declined an offer and briefly note it was due to significantly below-market compensation. Keep all the documentation from the employer including the salary details. I was worried about the same thing but my caseworker actually thanked me for being thorough with my documentation when I eventually spoke with them.

I'm new to unemployment benefits and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation where I might need to turn down offers that don't match my previous role. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the main takeaway is to be completely transparent on your weekly claims and document everything thoroughly. The fact that Washington ESD has specific "suitable work" criteria actually gives me more confidence that they're not trying to force people into inappropriate jobs. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge here - it's so valuable to have a community where people can get real answers about these complicated situations!