Need pandemic waiver letter for job search requirement - what was it called?

You're looking for the "Emergency Rule for Job Search Requirements" that was issued under the Governor's emergency proclamation. It was officially called the "Job Search Requirements Emergency COVID-19 Rule" and it suspended job search requirements from March 2020 through early July 2021 (dates varied slightly as they extended it). You should be able to request it through your eServices account or by calling ESD directly with the specific name.

it was def something like a 'emergency rule' or 'job search suspension'. they kinda automatically applied it to everyone during the lockdowns. weird ur employer is fighting it now after all this time! good luck

I went through something similar last year with an audit. It's called the "Blanket Job Search Suspension" that was authorized under the Governor's emergency powers. ESD should have record of it, but I'd recommend also pulling up the official WAC (Washington Administrative Code) emergency rule that was filed - I think it was WAC 192-140-095 with temporary emergency provisions. That carries more weight in a dispute than just the notification letter.

Omg I'm having FLASHBACKS to all the pandemic unemployment drama!! 😩 I remember that letter but can't remember what it was called either. All I know is they kept extending it like every few months and I was always worried about answering the questions wrong. I think I deleted all my ESD emails from back then which was probably a mistake...

The document you're looking for is formally called the "Emergency Proclamation Job Search Suspension Notice." It was issued under Governor's Proclamation 20-05 and extended several times through 2021. If you're having trouble getting a copy through eServices (which you probably will since it's an older document), you'll need to contact ESD directly. However, reaching them is still incredibly difficult. I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an ESD agent quickly instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a service that helps you bypass the hold times to speak with someone who can access your claim history and provide the exact documentation you need. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 This is especially important for something like retrieving a specific document from 2020, as you'll likely need to speak with someone in the records department rather than a general claims agent.

THE JOB SEARCH WAIVER!! That's what it was called! I had the same issue last year. My ex-employer tried to say I committed fraud during the pandemic by not looking for work, but I showed ESD the waiver that THEY ISSUED and won my case. Call and specifically ask for the "COVID-19 Job Search Requirements Waiver" document from your claim history. Make sure you tell them exactly which weeks you need documentation for because it changed like 3-4 times during the pandemic.

Thanks everyone for the help! I'm going to try to get through to ESD tomorrow and ask specifically for the "Emergency Proclamation Job Search Suspension Notice" and reference the WAC emergency rule. If I can't get through I might try that Claimyr service since I really need this documentation quickly. My previous employer is claiming I didn't meet requirements during weeks when the requirements were actually suspended, so having the official documentation seems like the only way to resolve this. I'll update if I have any success!

Wait isn't there like a time limit for employers to dispute unemployment claims??? It's been like 5 YEARS since the pandemic started, how can they even do this now??