Washington ESD unemployment waiting week - what is it exactly?

The waiting week is basically an unpaid week that Washington ESD requires before you start receiving benefits. It's typically your first week of unemployment. You still have to file a weekly claim for that week, but you won't receive payment for it. Think of it as a one-week waiting period before your benefits kick in.

The waiting week is required by Washington state law. It's designed to ensure that unemployment benefits go to people who are truly unemployed for an extended period, not just briefly between jobs. You'll serve one waiting week during your benefit year, and it's usually the first week you're eligible.

I had so much trouble understanding this when I first filed! I kept calling Washington ESD trying to figure out why my first payment was missing. Spent hours on hold before I finally got through to someone who explained it. If you're having trouble reaching them, I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents faster. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

wait so if I get laid off on a Friday, I have to wait two weeks before I get any money? That's brutal

I'm confused about this too. Do I serve the waiting week even if I'm on standby status? My employer put me on temporary layoff and said I might be called back.

The waiting week is such an outdated concept. Like we're not unemployed by choice, why make us wait even longer for help?

Quick question - if I work part time during my waiting week, does that affect anything?

I served my waiting week back in March and honestly forgot about it until I saw this thread. It's just one of those things you have to deal with when filing for unemployment.

Does anyone know if the waiting week counts toward your maximum benefit duration? Like if you get 26 weeks of benefits, is it really 25 weeks plus the unpaid waiting week?

I remember being so confused about this when I first filed. The Washington ESD website explains it but it's buried in all the other information. Would be nice if they made it more prominent since it affects everyone.

Just want to follow up on what someone mentioned earlier about Claimyr - I tried it yesterday and actually got through to Washington ESD in about 15 minutes. The agent was able to explain not just the waiting week but also answered some questions I had about my job search requirements. Pretty helpful service if you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD.

For anyone still confused - think of the waiting week as Washington ESD's way of making sure you're really unemployed and not just taking a week off. It's the price of admission to the unemployment system basically.

i had to serve mine last year and it was definitely annoying but you get through it. just make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even for that unpaid week!

The waiting week used to be more common across states but many have eliminated it. Washington is one of the states that still requires it. Hopefully they'll change it eventually but for now we're stuck with it.

Thanks everyone for explaining this! I was getting worried that something was wrong with my claim when I didn't see a payment for my first week. Now I know it's just the waiting week and everything is normal.

One thing that helped me understand the waiting week better is to think of it as serving your "penalty week" upfront rather than at the end of your claim. Some states make you serve an unpaid week at the end of your benefits, but Washington makes you do it at the beginning. It's still frustrating when you need money right away, but at least you get it over with early and then know exactly when your payments will come.