Partial unemployment with reduced HVAC hours - employer notification required? Hour threshold?

Yes, his employer will definitely find out he filed. ESD sends an automatic notification to the employer when someone files a claim against them - they have to verify the reason for reduced hours/separation. His employer has 10 days to respond to ESD about the claim. As for hours - Washington doesn't have a strict cutoff like 32 hours. Instead, it depends on your husband's earnings. If he earns less than 1.33 times his weekly benefit amount, he can receive partial unemployment. So it depends on what his normal wages are and what his approved benefit amount ends up being. For example, if his weekly benefit amount is $500, he could earn up to $665 (500 × 1.33) and still receive some benefits. Once he earns more than that threshold in a week, he'd be ineligible for that specific week.

yea the boss will def find out cuz ESD contacts them. happened to me when i filed partial at my landscaping job last winter. my supervisor actually got annoyed that i didnt tell him first, just fyi

I went through this with my partial unemployment claim in the construction industry a few months ago. Here's what you need to know: 1) Employer notification: Yes, ESD will automatically notify your husband's employer. I'd recommend he gives his boss a heads-up before they receive the ESD notice though - helps prevent any misunderstandings. Some employers get defensive when they see unemployment claims, even for partial benefits. 2) Hour threshold: There isn't a strict hour cutoff in Washington. It's based on earnings, not hours. What matters is if he's earning less than 1.33 times his weekly benefit amount. One important thing - make sure he's claiming the exact hours/earnings each week correctly. Partial unemployment can be tricky because the system is designed primarily for full unemployment. When reporting work hours on weekly claims, he needs to report gross earnings (before taxes) for the hours actually worked that week. Also - he still has to do the three job search activities every week, even with partial unemployment. A lot of people miss that requirement.

Beware of all the ESD paperwork! My cousin works in HVAC too and when he filed for partial unemployment last year they kept sending him confusing letters. He ended up getting paid for some weeks but not others and he never understood why. The whole system is a mess 🙄

THEY WILL DEFINITELY TELL YOUR HUSBAND'S EMPLOYER!! I filed for partial unemployment last month when my retail hours got cut and my manager called me THE NEXT DAY asking why I filed without telling her first. Super uncomfortable conversation. Also the ESD website is TERRIBLE. I spent 3 days trying to get through on the phone to ask a question about my claim and couldn't get a human being. Hours of waiting on hold and then they would just disconnect me! I wanted to throw my phone against the wall!!!!

To directly answer your questions: 1. Employer notification: ESD automatically notifies the employer when a claim is filed. While your husband isn't required to inform his employer himself, it's generally good practice to give them a heads-up to maintain a positive relationship. The employer will receive official notification from ESD within 1-2 business days of filing. 2. Hours threshold: Washington state uses an earnings threshold rather than an hours threshold. The formula is: - If weekly earnings are less than 1.33 times the weekly benefit amount (WBA), partial benefits may be available - The exact amount is calculated by subtracting 25% of the WBA from the earnings, then subtracting that result from the WBA For example: If WBA is $600 and weekly earnings are $700 - Earnings threshold: $600 × 1.33 = $798 - Since $700 is less than $798, he qualifies for partial benefits - Calculation: $600 - ($700 - ($600 × 0.25)) = $600 - ($700 - $150) = $600 - $550 = $50 benefit for that week Additionally, he must meet all other eligibility requirements, including: - Being able and available for full-time work - Completing 3 job search activities each week (unless on approved standby) - Filing weekly claims accurately and on time Keep in mind that even small unemployment payments qualify him for the additional $25 weekly dependent allowance per child if you have children (maximum of $50).

i had partial unemployment last year when i worked at a restaurant and my hours got cut. nobody told me I had to do job searches every week even tho i was still working part time!! ended up getting disqualified for like 3 weeks of benefits and had to appeal. make sure he does his job searches!!!

When I had my hours reduced at my plumbing job last winter, I struggled with the ESD phone system for days. After multiple disconnections, I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an ESD representative quickly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 showing how it works. The agent confirmed that in Washington: 1. Your employer automatically gets notified when you file 2. The earnings threshold is definitely the 1.33 × WBA formula others mentioned, not a fixed hour amount 3. You MUST do job searches unless you get standby approval The service saved me hours of frustration and the agent fixed some issues with my claim that would have delayed my payments.