Tried every trick to reach ESD on the phone - always busy signals. Any ACTUAL way to talk to someone?

ur doing it wrong lol. U gotta call EXACTLY at 7:59am and keep hitting redial. Sometimes works for me but yeah its trash. The whole ESD system is broken AF

Have you tried the technical support line instead of the claims line? Sometimes that one has shorter wait times, then you can ask them to transfer you to claims. Also, Thursdays seem to be slightly better in my experience - I got through last month after "only" 45 minutes of redialing.

I was in the exact same situation last month with my claim stuck in adjudication. After weeks of trying to call with no success, I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an ESD agent in under 25 minutes. They have this system that keeps dialing for you until they get through, then they call you back when they have an agent on the line. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 It was seriously the only way I was able to get my standby status question resolved. The agent I spoke with even commented on how impossible it is to get through right now because they're short-staffed.

ESD phone representative here. I know this is incredibly frustrating, and you're right that our lines are overwhelmed. Here are some insider tips that might help: 1. Our lowest call volume is typically Wednesday afternoons between 2-3pm 2. Have you tried using the eServices message center? Responses are usually within 5-7 business days 3. For standby status questions specifically, you can email the dedicated address: standby@esd.wa.gov 4. If your question is about job search requirements while on standby, check your current status on eServices under "Claim Status" - it will show if you're exempt from job search If you provide a bit more detail about your standby question, I might be able to help without you needing to call in at all.

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THIS IS RIDICULOUS??? We pay taxes our whole lives and when we need help we can't even talk to a human?!! I spent FOUR DAYS trying to reach someone about my adjudication last month. FOUR DAYS!!! This system is DESIGNED to make people give up!!! 😡😡😡

I had the same issue and what worked for me was contacting my state representative. I emailed my district rep explaining the situation and how I couldn't get through on the phones, and their office contacted ESD on my behalf. Got a call back from an ESD supervisor within 2 days. Worth trying if nothing else works!

pro tip: hit 4 then 2 then 1 then 3 in the phone menu. gets u to a different queue. worked for me last time

Just to follow up - did you get your standby issue resolved? If your employer has submitted the extension request, you should be able to see the updated standby end date in your eServices account under "Summary of Current Claim." If it's been more than 48 hours since they submitted it and you don't see the update, that would be a valid reason to call in as it might indicate a system issue.