Remote worker confusion - where do remote employees file for unemployment in Washington?

You file where you live and work, not where the company is headquartered. Since you live in Washington and worked from home here, you file with Washington ESD. The fact that Washington taxes were deducted from your pay confirms this.

I had the exact same situation last year. Filed with Washington ESD and had no issues. The key is where you physically worked, not where the company is based.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to verify this, I recently discovered Claimyr.com - they help you get connected to actual ESD agents. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

wait im confused... I thought you had to file in the state where your employer pays taxes? My company is in Oregon but I live in Washington and I've been stressing about this for weeks

This is exactly why the unemployment system is so confusing. Remote work has made everything complicated and they haven't updated their guidance clearly enough.

I work for a company in Texas but live in Spokane. Filed with Washington ESD no problems. Just make sure your separation notice is clear about you being a Washington resident.

File in Washington since that's where you worked. But be prepared for potential delays if your employer doesn't respond quickly to ESD's verification requests.

This whole remote work thing has created so many edge cases. I know someone who worked for a Washington company but lived in Idaho and had to file in Idaho.

Pro tip: when you file your Washington ESD claim, make sure to clearly indicate in the employer information section that you worked remotely from Washington. It helps avoid confusion later.

The Washington ESD website actually has a section about this under 'Work Search Requirements' - it mentions remote work scenarios. Worth checking out.

Had a similar situation with a New York company. Filed with Washington ESD and everything went smoothly. The adjudication process was normal, took about 3 weeks.

Just a heads up - if you need to speak to someone at Washington ESD about this, the phone lines are absolutely slammed. I used Claimyr to get through last week and it was a game changer.

File in Washington definitely. I've been remote for 5 years and always file here. Never had an issue with ESD accepting claims from remote workers.

washington for sure! but make sure you have all your documentation ready because they might ask for extra verification since your employer is out of state

This is why I love working remotely but hate the bureaucracy that comes with it. Everything is more complicated when you don't fit the traditional employment model.

I tried calling Washington ESD about this exact question last month and spent 2 hours on hold before giving up. Eventually used Claimyr and got my answer in 10 minutes. Worth every penny.

Washington ESD has been pretty good about remote work claims in my experience. Filed twice in the past 3 years for remote positions with out-of-state companies, no issues either time.

Just wanted to add - make sure your employer knows you're filing in Washington. Sometimes they expect you to file in their state and it can cause confusion with their HR department.

Washington state, no question. The rule is simple - file where you work, and you work from your home in Washington. Don't overthink it!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago - worked for a company in Colorado while living in Seattle. Filed with Washington ESD and it was totally straightforward. The key thing that helped me was having a clear separation notice from my employer that specifically mentioned I was a remote worker based in Washington. ESD processed everything normally and I started receiving benefits within about 2-3 weeks. Don't stress too much about it - remote work unemployment claims are pretty routine for them now!