Washington ESD claim denied - what caused unemployment after layoffs at Boeing defense contract?
My unemployment claim got denied by Washington ESD and I'm trying to understand what caused this. I worked at Boeing on a defense contract that ended abruptly in March when funding got cut. They laid off about 200 of us with just 2 weeks notice. When I filed my UI claim, Washington ESD said I was disqualified because I didn't have enough work history in the base period. But I worked there for 8 months straight! The adjudicator said something about needing wages in multiple quarters. Can someone explain what causes these denials? I thought layoffs automatically qualified you for benefits.
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Cynthia Love
The base period issue is confusing but fixable. Washington ESD looks at specific quarters for your wage calculation, not just continuous employment. If most of your Boeing wages fell in recent quarters that aren't part of your base period yet, that could cause the denial. You might qualify under the alternate base period rules.
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Naila Gordon
•How do I know which quarters they're looking at? The denial letter wasn't clear about the specific dates.
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Cynthia Love
•They typically use the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. So if you filed in March 2025, they'd look at quarters ending in September, June, March, and December of 2024.
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Darren Brooks
Defense contract layoffs are tricky because of how they calculate eligibility. I went through something similar when my aerospace contract ended. You need to request an alternate base period calculation from Washington ESD - this uses more recent quarters and might include your Boeing wages.
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Naila Gordon
•Did you have to appeal the initial denial or could you just request the alternate calculation?
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Darren Brooks
•I had to file an appeal, but they processed the alternate base period as part of that. Took about 3 weeks to get resolved.
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Rosie Harper
honestly the whole system is set up to deny claims initially. ive been trying to get through to washington esd for weeks about my adjudication and cant even get a human on the phone. their call volume is insane
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Naila Gordon
•Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true when everyone says it's impossible to reach them.
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Rosie Harper
•anything is worth trying at this point. spending hours every day calling and getting nothing
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Elliott luviBorBatman
Wait, Boeing defense contracts... are you sure you weren't classified as a contractor instead of an employee? That would definitely cause a denial because contractors don't pay into the UI system. Check your pay stubs to see if they took out unemployment taxes.
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Naila Gordon
•No I was definitely a W-2 employee, not a 1099 contractor. They took out all the normal taxes including unemployment.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•Good, that rules out that issue. Sounds like it's definitely the base period calculation problem then.
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Cynthia Love
For the appeal, you'll need to gather your Boeing pay stubs showing the exact dates and amounts. Washington ESD will need to see when those wages were earned to determine if they fall into an eligible base period. The key is proving you have sufficient wages in covered employment.
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Naila Gordon
•Should I include the severance pay Boeing gave us? Or does that not count toward the wage requirement?
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Cynthia Love
•Severance typically doesn't count toward base period wages for eligibility, but it might affect when you can start collecting benefits. Include it in your appeal documentation but note it separately.
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Darren Brooks
•Also make sure to mention the layoff was due to contract completion, not performance issues. That strengthens your case for benefits.
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Demi Hall
This happened to my brother last year with a different defense contractor. The problem was his previous job before Boeing was over a year ago, so he didn't have wages spread across enough quarters. He had to appeal and request alternate base period like others mentioned.
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Naila Gordon
•How long did his appeal take? I'm getting stressed about how long this is dragging out.
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Demi Hall
•About 6 weeks total, but he got backpay to when he first filed once it was approved.
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Mateusius Townsend
THE WHOLE WASHINGTON ESD SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! They deny everyone first and make you fight for benefits you're entitled to. I've been waiting 2 months for my adjudication and they won't even tell me what the issue is!
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Kara Yoshida
•I feel your frustration but the system does work, it's just really slow and confusing. The initial denial often gets overturned on appeal if you have the right documentation.
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Mateusius Townsend
•easy for you to say when you're not behind on rent because they can't process claims properly
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Philip Cowan
Quick update on that Claimyr thing I mentioned - I used it again yesterday to check on my pending appeal and actually got through to a Washington ESD rep who explained exactly what documents they needed. Way better than playing phone tag for weeks. Just wanted to confirm it actually works for those who were skeptical.
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Naila Gordon
•That's actually really helpful. I might try that to get clarity on my appeal process instead of waiting for mail updates.
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Caesar Grant
•How much does something like that cost? Seems like it would be expensive.
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Philip Cowan
•I didn't want to focus on cost since everyone's situation is different, but for me the value was worth it compared to the stress of not being able to reach anyone. The time I saved was huge.
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Lena Schultz
Boeing layoffs have been happening a lot lately with all the defense budget changes. Make sure when you appeal you emphasize this was involuntary separation due to contract completion, not anything related to your performance or attendance.
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Naila Gordon
•Good point. Should I include the layoff notice they gave us as documentation?
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Lena Schultz
•Absolutely! That's perfect evidence that it was through no fault of your own.
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Gemma Andrews
same thing happened to me but with microsoft contract work. turned out i needed the alternate base period calculation and once they did that i qualified. dont give up on the appeal
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Naila Gordon
•That's encouraging to hear! How did you request the alternate base period specifically?
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Gemma Andrews
•i mentioned it in my appeal paperwork and they automatically calculated it. made all the difference
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Pedro Sawyer
The timing of defense contract work really screws with unemployment eligibility. I've seen this pattern where people work solid employment for months but it doesn't line up with their base period quarters. Washington ESD should make this clearer in their initial determination letters.
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Mae Bennett
•Agreed, the communication from Washington ESD is terrible. Half the time you don't even understand why you were denied.
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Naila Gordon
•Exactly! The letter just said 'insufficient wages in base period' with no explanation of what that actually means or how to fix it.
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Beatrice Marshall
For your appeal, also include any documentation showing you were actively seeking work after the layoff. Even though that's not directly related to the wage issue, it shows you're taking the claim seriously and following all requirements.
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Naila Gordon
•I've been applying to jobs but haven't been keeping detailed records. Should I start documenting everything now?
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Beatrice Marshall
•Yes, start now and include what you can remember. Washington ESD requires job search documentation for ongoing benefits anyway.
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Melina Haruko
Another thing to check - make sure Boeing reported your wages correctly to Washington ESD. Sometimes there are reporting delays or errors that cause eligibility issues. You can request your wage records from Washington ESD to verify.
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Naila Gordon
•How do I request those wage records? Is that something I can do online?
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Melina Haruko
•You should be able to access them through your SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account, or request them by phone if you can get through.
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Dallas Villalobos
I work in HR and see this issue frequently with contract employees. The key thing Washington ESD looks for is W-2 wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period, and those wages need to meet minimum thresholds. If all your Boeing wages were in just one or two recent quarters, that's likely the problem.
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Naila Gordon
•That makes sense. I started at Boeing in June 2024 and worked through March 2025, so most of my wages would be concentrated in just a few quarters.
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Dallas Villalobos
•Exactly. The alternate base period would include more recent quarters and likely capture your Boeing wages. That should resolve your eligibility issue.
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Reina Salazar
File that appeal ASAP! Washington ESD has strict deadlines and if you miss the appeal window you're stuck with the denial. I learned this the hard way on my first claim.
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Naila Gordon
•How long do I have to appeal? The denial letter mentioned a deadline but I want to make sure I don't miss it.
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Reina Salazar
•Usually 30 days from the date on the determination letter. Don't wait - file it as soon as you have your documentation together.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
Quick question - did you work anywhere else before Boeing? Even part-time work from earlier quarters could help meet the wage requirements without needing the alternate base period.
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Naila Gordon
•I had a retail job for a few months in early 2024 before starting at Boeing, but the pay was pretty low. Would that actually help?
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•Every bit helps! Include that wage information in your appeal. Combined with your Boeing wages it might be enough to meet the threshold.
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Demi Lagos
Washington ESD adjudication is so backed up right now. Even with a clear case like yours it's going to take weeks to resolve. Just be patient and make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while the appeal is pending.
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Naila Gordon
•Should I keep filing weekly claims even though I was denied? I thought I had to wait for the approval.
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Demi Lagos
•Yes, keep filing! If your appeal is successful you'll get backpay for those weeks. If you don't file them, you lose those weeks permanently.
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Mason Lopez
•This is really important advice. I stopped filing during my appeal and lost 4 weeks of benefits even after I won.
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Vera Visnjic
Good luck with your appeal! Defense contract layoffs are legitimate reasons for unemployment and with the right wage calculation you should qualify. The system is frustrating but it does work eventually.
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Naila Gordon
•Thanks everyone for all the advice. I feel much more confident about the appeal process now and understand what went wrong with my initial claim.
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