Stuck in ESD adjudication for weeks while taking part-time retail job - will this mess up my claim?

You're smart to be thinking about this. Taking part-time work won't automatically disqualify you from benefits, but you need to report all earnings when filing weekly claims. You might receive partial unemployment benefits if you earn less than your weekly benefit amount. The formula is roughly: if you earn less than 75% of your weekly benefit amount, you'll receive the difference (after the first $50 of earnings is disregarded).\n\nThe bigger question is whether it's worth taking a job you're not excited about when your claim is still pending. If you've already been waiting 3-4 weeks, there's a good chance your adjudication will resolve soon. Calling the governor's office is a great idea to get things expedited.

Thanks for this detailed info! Do you know if taking this job would 'reset' my claim in any way? I'm worried that if I start working part-time and then that job also turns out to be awful, I'll somehow lose the benefits from my original claim. The ESD website is so confusing on this point.

i took a pt job while on unemployment last year and it was fine just report ur hours every week when u do ur claim. the system will calculat wat ur supposed to get. but u have to be super carful to report EXACTLY right or they will come after u for overpayment later and that SUCKS

This is absolutely right! I got an overpayment notice for $4,200 because I misreported my hours for just TWO WEEKS. Been fighting with ESD for months trying to get it fixed. Make sure you track your hours down to the minute and report everything correctly.

If you're stuck in adjudication, have you tried calling ESD directly? I was in the same position - waiting for 5 weeks with no movement on my claim. I finally got through to an agent who discovered there was a simple issue with my identity verification that could be fixed in minutes. The problem is actually getting someone on the phone.\n\nI used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3\n\nOnce I talked to an actual person, they resolved my adjudication issue immediately. Might be worth trying before making a decision about the retail job.

Does this actually work? I've been trying to get through to ESD for WEEKS. Their phone system is insane - either busy signals or it hangs up after saying they're experiencing high call volume. I'm going to check this out because I'm desperate at this point.

The job market in Spokane is brutal right now. I'm a web developer and had to take a job at a call center temporarily. My advice: take the retail job but continue looking for design work. You can still get partial unemployment depending on how many hours you work. Most importantly, it's easier to find a job when you already have one - even if it's not in your field.

That's what I'm leaning toward. The uncertainty of when (or if) my benefits will come through is making me extremely anxious. At least with the retail job I'd have some guaranteed income, even if it's not ideal. I'm just terrified of dealing with another toxic workplace after what I went through at my last job.

ESD IS A NIGHTMARE!!! Been dealing with them for 2 months and still no payments!!! They expect us to survive on NOTHING while they take their sweet time processing claims!!! The system is BROKEN and no one cares!!! Take the retail job because waiting for ESD to do their job is like waiting for the apocalypse - might happen eventually but who knows when!!!

fr fr the whole system is designed to make u give up. my friend had to move back with his parents bcuz his claim was stuck for 3 months. its a joke

One important thing to know: If you're on standby status with your claim (meaning you're expected to return to your previous employer), taking a new job could change that status. But if you're not on standby and you're doing an active job search, taking part-time work is actually viewed positively by ESD.\n\nAlso, if you take the job and it doesn't work out, you can potentially qualify for benefits again based on your original claim - you wouldn't necessarily have to file a new claim. The important thing is to keep doing your required job search activities (3 per week) and reporting everything accurately.

This is super helpful, thank you! I'm definitely not on standby - my previous job was a complete disaster and I have no intention of returning. I've been doing my 3 job search activities religiously, so it sounds like taking this part-time retail position might actually be okay. I just wish ESD would process my claim so I'd have more clarity about my situation.

I had a similar situation last year. My claim was stuck in adjudication for almost 6 weeks, and I was offered a part-time position at a warehouse. I took it because I needed some income, but I kept my claim active.\n\nWhen my claim finally got approved, I received back pay for the weeks I was eligible (they adjusted for my part-time earnings). The key is reporting your hours and earnings accurately each week. I actually received a combination of wages from my part-time job and partial unemployment benefits.\n\nThe one thing I'd caution about - make sure you understand the

This is incredibly helpful - thank you for sharing your experience! It sounds like we're in very similar situations. Did you have any issues with the back pay once your claim was approved? That's another concern I have - if I'm working part-time when they finally approve my claim, will that somehow affect the back pay for the weeks I wasn't working at all?

I don't have experience with this exact situation, but I just wanted to say that calling the governor's office actually worked for me! My claim was stuck for over a month, called the governor's office, and magically my claim was processed within 48 hours. Definitely do that on Monday. \n\nAlso, have you tried WorkSource? They sometimes have connections to jobs in specific fields that aren't advertised publicly. Might be worth checking if they have any graphic design leads before jumping into retail.

I haven't tried WorkSource yet - that's a great suggestion! I'll definitely check with them. And good to know the governor's office route worked for you. I'm desperate to get this claim processed so I can make better decisions.