Walmart fighting my Washington ESD unemployment claim - how often does this happen?

I kept all my paperwork including the WARN notice they gave us. Should I submit that to Washington ESD now or wait for them to ask?

Submit it now through your SecureAccess Washington account. The more documentation you provide upfront, the faster the adjudication process usually goes.

6 weeks?? I can't afford to wait that long. Did you have any luck reaching someone at Washington ESD to speed things up?

I tried calling for weeks but could never get through. The phone system is a nightmare.

Never heard of this - is it legit? I'm desperate at this point.

Yeah it's real. Check out claimyr.com - they basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an actual person. Saved me weeks of frustration.

How much does something like that cost though? I'm already broke from being unemployed.

That's so messed up. These companies make billions and they're fighting over a few hundred dollars in unemployment.

It adds up when you multiply it across thousands of employees. A 1% increase in UI tax rate can cost a company like Walmart millions annually.

Store closure and they still fought it? That's insane. Did she have to go to a hearing?

yeah she did. had to take a whole day off from her new job to deal with it. thankfully the judge saw right through walmarts bs

That's a good point about the severance. I have the paperwork showing it was a 'reduction in force' layoff.

Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims even during adjudication. If you win, you'll get back pay for all the weeks you were eligible.

Small companies can be just as bad. My old boss at a local restaurant fought my claim tooth and nail out of pure spite.

True, but at least they don't have a whole department dedicated to screwing over former employees.

I'm seriously considering it. This waiting game is killing me financially.

I'm skeptical of paying for something that should be free, but if it actually works...

I have most of that stuff. Should I also include my final paycheck stub that shows the severance payment?

Absolutely. That proves it was a layoff situation, not termination for cause.

How long did your adjudication take? I'm going on 3 weeks now.

mine took about 7 weeks total. but this was during covid so things might be faster now

2 months?? How are you surviving financially?

Barely. Had to move back in with my parents and pick up some gig work. This system is broken.

Should I consider getting a lawyer involved or is that overkill for an unemployment claim?

For a standard adjudication, probably not necessary. If it goes to appeal and you have complex circumstances, then maybe consider it.

That's so predatory. Taking advantage of people who are already in a tough spot.

Yep, they're counting on people giving up or not knowing their rights.

Alright, you've convinced me. I'm going to check out their website tonight.

Let us know how it goes if you end up using them.

That's somewhat reassuring. I just wish the process was faster.

Yeah, the waiting is the worst part. Try to stay positive and keep documenting everything.

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm not giving up, just frustrated with the whole process.

Totally understandable. The system is designed to be frustrating. Don't let them wear you down.

Will do! Hopefully I'll have good news to share soon.

Fingers crossed for both of us. This whole process is such a nightmare.

It's disgusting how they treat employees even after they're gone.

That's why documentation is so important. You have to be ready to fight back with facts.

Good to know I'm not alone in this. Did your friend have to do anything special to win his case?

He just kept submitting documentation and stayed persistent. Eventually Washington ESD ruled in his favor.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to keep fighting this and not let them push me around.

That's the spirit! You've got this. Just be patient with the process and don't give up.

That's really helpful to know about Target doing the same thing. It makes me feel less like I'm being personally targeted. I'm definitely going to submit all my documentation tonight - I have the WARN notice, severance agreement, and my final pay stub showing the severance payment. It's just so stressful not knowing when this will be resolved, especially with bills piling up. Did you have to do anything else during the adjudication process or just wait it out?

@Camila Castillo For the most part I just had to wait it out, but I did call Washington ESD a couple times to check on the status. The phone system is absolutely terrible though - I probably spent 20+ hours on hold over several weeks trying to get through to someone. That s'actually why I ended up trying Claimyr like Dylan mentioned above. It was worth the cost just to avoid the phone nightmare. During adjudication I also made sure to respond promptly to any requests for additional information. They asked me to clarify a few dates and provide some extra documentation about the store closure timeline. The whole process took about 8 weeks but I got approved and received all the back pay. Your situation sounds even more straightforward than mine was since you have the severance paperwork - that s'basically proof positive it was a layoff and not termination for cause.

This is really reassuring to hear from someone who went through the same thing with another big retailer. I'm dealing with a very similar situation - got laid off from a distribution center and they're claiming it was termination for cause even though I have all the layoff documentation. The waiting is the hardest part, especially when you're already stressed about finances. I think I'm going to look into that Claimyr service too since everyone seems to have had good luck with it. Thanks for sharing your experience - it gives me hope that this will work out eventually.

This is exactly what I needed to hear! It's so frustrating that they contest claims even for obvious layoffs like store closures. I'm glad you stuck with it and got your back pay. I have very similar documentation - the WARN notice, severance paperwork, and my final pay stub showing the severance payment. It's encouraging to know that 6 weeks seems to be pretty typical for the adjudication process. I'm definitely not giving up, but the financial stress while waiting is really tough. Did you have any luck getting updates on your case status during those 6 weeks, or did you just have to wait for the final decision?

@Rebecca Johnston I tried calling Washington ESD a few times during those 6 weeks but honestly their phone system is a nightmare - I think I got through to an actual person maybe once out of like 15 attempts. The one time I did get through, the agent just told me my case was in "review and" they couldn t'give me a timeline. It s'really frustrating because you re'basically in limbo not knowing when you ll'hear anything. I mostly just had to wait it out and keep checking my SecureAccess account for updates. The good news is that when they finally made the decision, they processed everything pretty quickly and I had the back pay deposited within a few days. Hang in there - I know the waiting sucks but with your documentation you should be in good shape.

I'm in almost the exact same situation - got laid off from Walmart distribution in Puyallup and they're fighting my claim too. It's so infuriating that they do this even with clear layoff documentation. Your story gives me hope though. I've got my WARN notice, severance agreement, and all the paperwork showing it was a reduction in force. The waiting is killing me financially but I'm not backing down. Did you end up using any services to help get through to Washington ESD or did you just tough it out with the terrible phone system? Thanks for sharing your experience - it really helps to know others have been through this and won.

@Ana Erdoğan I mostly just dealt with the terrible phone system, but honestly I wish I had known about services like Claimyr that Dylan mentioned earlier in this thread. If I had to do it over again, I probably would have used something like that to save myself the hours of frustration trying to get through. The phone system is seriously broken - you ll'be on hold for 2-3 hours and then get disconnected. It s'designed to discourage people from following up on their claims. Since you have all the same documentation I had WARN (notice, severance agreement, etc. ,)you re'in a really strong position. Don t'let Walmart s'lawyers intimidate you - they re'just hoping you ll'give up. Keep filing those weekly claims and stay strong. You ve'got this!