Washington ESD unemployment if job offer rescinded - am I eligible?
My situation is pretty complicated and I'm not sure if I qualify for unemployment benefits. I was laid off from my marketing job in December and had been job searching for about 6 weeks. Last week I got a formal job offer from a tech startup - salary, benefits package, start date of February 10th, the whole thing. I even gave my two weeks notice at my part-time retail job I'd been doing to make ends meet. Then yesterday the company called and said they're rescinding the offer due to 'budget constraints' and a hiring freeze. Now I'm completely without income and wondering if Washington ESD will approve my unemployment claim since I technically quit my retail job to take the rescinded position. Has anyone dealt with this kind of situation before?
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Miguel Silva
That's a really tough situation, but yes you should definitely be eligible for unemployment benefits in Washington. When you quit a job to accept another job offer that falls through due to no fault of your own, Washington ESD typically considers that good cause for leaving your previous employment.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorThank you, that's reassuring to hear. Do I need any documentation from the company that rescinded the offer?
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Miguel Silva
Yes, definitely save any emails or written communication about the rescinded offer. Washington ESD may ask for proof during adjudication.
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Zainab Ismail
I had something similar happen to me two years ago. Filed my claim and it went into adjudication for about 3 weeks while they reviewed my case. Make sure you have copies of the original job offer and the rescission notice.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorThree weeks in adjudication sounds nerve-wracking. Did they eventually approve your claim?
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Zainab Ismail
Yes they did approve it. The key was having all the documentation ready when they called for the phone interview.
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Connor O'Neill
You might want to try calling Washington ESD directly to discuss your specific situation before filing. I know the phone lines are always busy, but I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at Washington ESD within minutes instead of hours of calling. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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QuantumQuester
How much does that cost though? I'm already strapped for cash after this job offer fell through.
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Connor O'Neill
It's worth checking out their site for the details, but honestly getting through to Washington ESD quickly was worth it for me when I had questions about my claim status.
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Yara Nassar
Never heard of Claimyr before but anything that helps with those ridiculous hold times sounds good to me.
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Keisha Williams
Washington state has pretty worker-friendly unemployment laws compared to other places. The fact that you quit to accept what you reasonably believed was secure employment should work in your favor. Document everything and file your claim as soon as possible.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorShould I mention in my application that I was already doing part-time work while looking for full-time employment?
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Keisha Williams
Absolutely be honest about all employment. Washington ESD will find out anyway through wage records, and being upfront helps avoid complications later.
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Paolo Ricci
This exact thing happened to my brother last year except it was a restaurant job. The company that rescinded his offer actually provided him with a letter explaining the situation which helped with his unemployment claim.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorThat's a good idea. I should ask the startup if they'd provide something in writing explaining why they rescinded the offer.
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Paolo Ricci
Definitely worth asking. Even if they say no, you still have the email trail as proof.
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Amina Toure
UGH this is so frustrating, companies need to be held accountable for this stuff! You plan your whole life around a job offer and then they just yank it away like it's nothing.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorTell me about it. I'm trying not to be bitter but it's really hard when you make major decisions based on their commitment.
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Oliver Zimmermann
Unfortunately it's becoming more common. At least unemployment benefits exist for situations exactly like this.
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CosmicCommander
File your claim online through the Washington ESD website as soon as possible. Don't wait thinking you need to have everything perfect first - you can always provide additional documentation later if they request it during adjudication.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorGood point. I was overthinking this and trying to gather every possible document first.
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CosmicCommander
Yeah the sooner you file, the sooner your potential benefit period starts. You can't get retroactive benefits for weeks before you filed.
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Natasha Volkova
Make sure to also register with WorkSource Washington for the job search requirements. Even though your situation was beyond your control, you'll still need to meet the ongoing eligibility requirements once approved.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorOh right, I forgot about the job search requirements. Do those start immediately or after the first week?
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Natasha Volkova
They typically start with your first weekly claim. You'll need to document your job search activities in your weekly filing.
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Javier Torres
The WorkSource registration is pretty straightforward online. Just don't forget to do it or it can delay your benefits.
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QuantumQuester
I'm dealing with Washington ESD issues too and those phone wait times are absolutely ridiculous. Yesterday I was on hold for 2.5 hours just to get disconnected!
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Emma Davis
That's exactly why I ended up trying Claimyr when someone mentioned it here last week. Got through to Washington ESD in like 10 minutes instead of waiting hours.
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QuantumQuester
Really? I might have to look into that if I can't get through the regular way again.
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Malik Johnson
Document the timeline of everything - when you got the offer, when you quit your retail job, when they rescinded it. Washington ESD loves their timelines and having exact dates will help your case.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorGood thinking. I'll put together a chronology with all the dates and supporting emails.
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Malik Johnson
Exactly. The more organized you are, the smoother the adjudication process usually goes.
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Isabella Ferreira
Sorry this happened to you but honestly you should be fine. Washington ESD generally sides with workers in situations like this where the employer breaks their commitment.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorThat's what I'm hoping. It just feels so unfair to be punished for trusting an employer's job offer.
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Ravi Sharma
whatever you do dont lie about anything on your application. They crosscheck everything and if they catch you in any inconsistency it can disqualify your whole claim
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Ava Garcia
AuthorDefinitely planning to be completely honest. Better to deal with any complications upfront than try to hide something.
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NebulaNomad
This is exactly the kind of situation unemployment insurance was designed for. You made a reasonable employment decision that didn't work out due to circumstances beyond your control.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorThat's a good way to think about it. I was starting to second-guess whether I even deserved benefits.
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NebulaNomad
You absolutely deserve them. That's what the system is there for - protecting workers from exactly this kind of situation.
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Freya Thomsen
Keep checking your claim status online regularly after you file. Sometimes Washington ESD needs additional info and if you respond quickly it can speed up the process.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorWill do. Is there a specific timeframe they give you to respond to requests for additional information?
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Freya Thomsen
Usually around 10 days but it varies. Just check your account daily and respond to anything ASAP.
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Omar Fawaz
The startup industry is notorious for this kind of thing unfortunately. At least Washington state has decent unemployment benefits compared to other places.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorYeah I'm learning that the hard way. Makes me more cautious about future offers from smaller companies.
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Chloe Martin
If you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD and can't get through on the phone, I had success with that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Worth checking out if you run into issues.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorA few people have mentioned Claimyr now. Might be worth having as a backup option if I can't reach Washington ESD directly.
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Diego Rojas
I was skeptical at first but it actually worked really well when I needed to check on my adjudication status.
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Anastasia Sokolov
Good luck with your claim! Based on what you've described, you should definitely qualify. Just be patient with the process and keep all your documentation organized.
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Ava Garcia
AuthorThanks everyone for all the advice and encouragement. Feeling much more confident about filing my claim now.
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Isabella Russo
I went through something very similar last year in Washington state. The key thing to remember is that Washington ESD considers "good cause" for leaving employment to include accepting another job offer that subsequently falls through due to circumstances beyond your control. Since you had a formal offer with a start date and the company rescinded it due to their budget issues, you should definitely qualify. Make sure to file your claim immediately and gather all your documentation - the original offer letter, any email correspondence about the rescission, and your resignation notice from the retail job. The adjudication process might take a few weeks, but Washington generally sides with workers in these situations. Don't let this discourage you from continuing your job search - you did nothing wrong by trusting a legitimate job offer.
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