Lost restaurant job due to minimum wage increase - Washington ESD unemployment options?
My restaurant cut staff after the minimum wage went up and now I'm looking at filing for unemployment with Washington ESD. Has anyone dealt with this situation before? I'm also thinking about doing some gig work or odd jobs while I look for another full-time position. Do I need to report that income on my weekly claims? I'm worried about messing up my benefits if I take on some temporary work while job hunting.
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Mei Lin
Yes, you absolutely need to report ANY income on your weekly claims, even small amounts from gig work. Washington ESD will find out eventually and you could face an overpayment if you don't report it upfront. When you file your weekly claim, there's a section asking about work performed and wages earned.
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Jamal Wilson
•Thanks for the heads up. So even like $50 from helping someone move or doing yard work needs to be reported?
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Mei Lin
•Exactly. Any work you do for pay, even cash jobs, needs to be reported. Better to be transparent than deal with an overpayment later.
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Liam Fitzgerald
I went through something similar when my retail job got cut after wage increases. The key is understanding how Washington ESD calculates your benefits when you have part-time income. They have a formula where you can still get partial benefits if your weekly earnings are under a certain amount.
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Jamal Wilson
•That's helpful! Do you know what the threshold is? I want to make sure I don't accidentally earn too much and lose my benefits completely.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•It depends on your weekly benefit amount, but generally you can earn up to about 1.5 times your weekly benefit and still get something. Check your benefit calculation on the Washington ESD website.
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GalacticGuru
honestly the whole system is confusing when you're trying to work part time. I've been calling Washington ESD for weeks trying to get someone to explain exactly how the income reporting works but can never get through. The phone lines are always busy and I keep getting disconnected.
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Amara Nnamani
•I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents without waiting on hold forever. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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GalacticGuru
•Never heard of that before. Does it actually work? I'm desperate at this point.
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Amara Nnamani
•Yeah it worked for me. I was able to talk to an actual person about my specific situation instead of just guessing about the rules.
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Giovanni Mancini
The gig economy stuff gets tricky with unemployment. Make sure you understand the difference between being an employee vs independent contractor. Some gig work might affect your able and available status too.
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Jamal Wilson
•What do you mean by able and available status? I thought as long as I'm looking for full-time work I'd be okay.
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Giovanni Mancini
•You have to be available for full-time work during normal business hours. If you're committed to gig work during those times, it could be an issue.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
Restaurant industry is rough right now. A lot of places are cutting hours or staff because of labor costs. At least you can file for unemployment - some people don't even qualify depending on how they were let go.
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Jamal Wilson
•Yeah I was worried about that. They called it a layoff due to business needs, so hopefully that helps with my claim.
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Dylan Cooper
•As long as it wasn't for misconduct you should be fine. Washington ESD usually approves layoffs pretty quickly.
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Sofia Morales
SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME!!! Three of us got cut when minimum wage went up in January. It's so frustrating because we were good employees but they just couldn't afford to keep everyone. At least we can all file for UI benefits.
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Jamal Wilson
•Did your claim get approved quickly? I'm worried about delays since so many people are probably filing.
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Sofia Morales
•Mine took about 2 weeks to get approved, which isn't too bad. Make sure you file your weekly claims even while it's pending!
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StarSailor
The minimum wage thing is such a double-edged sword. It helps workers who keep their jobs but hurts those who lose them. At least Washington has decent unemployment benefits compared to other states.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•True, but the job search requirements are getting stricter. You have to document 3 job contacts per week now.
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Jamal Wilson
•That's not too bad. I've been applying to lots of places anyway since I need to find something soon.
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Ava Garcia
If you do gig work while on unemployment, keep detailed records of everything. Date, hours worked, amount earned, who paid you. Washington ESD might audit your claim later and you'll need documentation.
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Jamal Wilson
•Good point about keeping records. Should I save receipts or anything else?
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Ava Garcia
•Any proof of payment helps - receipts, bank deposits, texts about the work, etc. The more documentation the better.
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Miguel Silva
been there with the restaurant layoffs. what kind of gig work are you thinking about? some stuff pays better than others while you're looking for regular employment.
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Jamal Wilson
•Maybe food delivery or moving help. Something flexible that won't interfere with job interviews.
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Miguel Silva
•food delivery is good because you can work around interviews. just remember to track your mileage for taxes too.
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Zainab Ismail
The key is being upfront with Washington ESD about everything. I know someone who got in trouble for not reporting cash work they did while collecting benefits. The penalties are harsh.
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Connor O'Neill
•What kind of penalties? I'm paranoid about making a mistake on my weekly claims.
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Zainab Ismail
•They can make you pay back benefits plus penalties and interest. Sometimes they'll disqualify you from future benefits too.
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QuantumQuester
I tried calling Washington ESD about this exact situation and waited 2 hours before giving up. Their phone system is a nightmare. Ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and actually got through to talk to a real person.
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Jamal Wilson
•Was it worth it? I'm getting frustrated trying to reach them myself.
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QuantumQuester
•Definitely worth it for me. The agent explained exactly how my part-time work would affect my benefits. Saved me a lot of guessing and worry.
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Yara Nassar
Make sure you understand the difference between gross and net income when reporting. Washington ESD wants to know your gross earnings before taxes and deductions.
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Jamal Wilson
•So if I make $100 doing gig work but pay $20 in gas, I report $100?
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Yara Nassar
•Exactly. They want the full amount you earned, not what you kept after expenses.
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Keisha Williams
Restaurant industry is cyclical anyway. You'll probably find something else once things pick up. In the meantime, unemployment benefits should help cover your basic expenses.
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Jamal Wilson
•I hope so. I really liked my old job but can't wait around hoping they'll hire people back.
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Paolo Ricci
•Smart thinking. Better to move forward than wait for something that might not happen.
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Amina Toure
Just filed my first weekly claim yesterday and the questions about work and earnings were pretty straightforward. As long as you're honest about everything you should be fine.
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Jamal Wilson
•That's reassuring. I was worried it would be super complicated.
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Amina Toure
•Nah, it's mostly yes/no questions and entering dollar amounts. Takes like 10 minutes once you get used to it.
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Oliver Zimmermann
One thing to watch out for - if you start making too much from gig work, you might lose eligibility for unemployment altogether. There's a balance between supplementing your income and maintaining your benefits.
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Jamal Wilson
•Good point. I'll keep track of my earnings to make sure I don't go over whatever the limit is.
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CosmicCommander
•The limit is usually around 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount. Check your determination letter for the exact number.
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Natasha Volkova
Washington ESD has gotten better about processing claims quickly, but make sure you file your initial claim as soon as possible. Benefits are backdated to when you file, not when you lost your job.
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Jamal Wilson
•Already filed last week. Just waiting for the determination now.
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Natasha Volkova
•Good thinking. Should hear back within a couple weeks if there are no issues with your claim.
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Javier Torres
Keep applying for full-time restaurant jobs while you're doing gig work. The job market is competitive but there are opportunities out there, especially with your experience.
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Jamal Wilson
•Yeah I've already applied to a few places. Hoping something comes through soon.
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Emma Davis
•Don't limit yourself to restaurants either. Customer service skills transfer to lots of other industries.
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Malik Johnson
The most important thing is staying compliant with all the Washington ESD requirements. File your weekly claims on time, report all income, keep looking for work, and document everything. It's a pain but it keeps you out of trouble.
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Jamal Wilson
•Sounds like a lot to keep track of but I'll do whatever it takes to keep my benefits.
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Malik Johnson
•It becomes routine after a few weeks. Just stay organized and you'll be fine.
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Isabella Ferreira
Anyone know if there are any job training programs available through WorkSource while you're collecting unemployment? Might be worth looking into if you want to expand your skills.
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Jamal Wilson
•That's a great idea. I should check what's available in my area.
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Ravi Sharma
•WorkSource has tons of resources. You can access their services online or visit a local office.
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NebulaNomad
If you need help navigating the Washington ESD system or getting through to speak with someone, that Claimyr service really does work. I was skeptical at first but it saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.
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Jamal Wilson
•I keep hearing about Claimyr. Might have to try it if I can't get through on my own.
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Freya Thomsen
•It's worth it just for the peace of mind of talking to an actual person who can answer your specific questions.
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