Washington ESD - what happens if you get a job while on unemployment benefits?

Thanks! So I report it the week I actually work, not the week I get paid? And do I report the hours too or just the dollar amount?

Report it for the week you worked, and yes report both hours and gross pay. Washington ESD uses both to determine your partial benefit calculation.

That's reassuring! My weekly benefit is $487 so hopefully I can still get something. Did you have any issues with Washington ESD when you were working part-time?

No issues as long as I reported everything. Just make sure you're still doing your job search activities too - they still require that even if you're working part-time.

Interesting, never heard of that before. How much does it cost to use?

It's not free but way cheaper than missing benefits because of confusion. The main thing is it actually gets you through to talk to a real person at Washington ESD instead of sitting on hold forever.

Oh wow, I didn't think about that. How many job contacts do I need to keep doing per week?

Still the same requirements - 3 job search activities per week and you have to log them in WorkSourceWA. Don't slack on this just because you have part-time income!

It's not really about hours, it's about your earnings compared to your weekly benefit amount. You can work full-time hours but if you earn less than your benefit + $5, you might still get something.

oh ok i always thought it was about hours thanks for the correction

Yikes, that's scary. Definitely not worth the risk. Better to be overly honest than risk fraud charges.

Exactly. The overpayment notices are no joke either - they want everything back plus penalties and interest.

Just report it on your weekly claim for the week you actually work. No need to notify them in advance, but definitely don't miss reporting it.

Perfect, thanks! Congrats on your job offer too @OP!

I tried looking for that but couldn't find it easily. Do you remember where on the site it was?

It's buried in there somewhere under the claimant services section I think. The Washington ESD website is pretty confusing to navigate.

Good to know! Hopefully this part-time thing leads to full-time eventually. Better to have some income than none.

Yeah, a lot of employers use part-time as a trial period before offering full-time positions. Good luck!

Yes, unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your weekly benefits or pay quarterly/yearly. Check your Washington ESD account settings.

Thanks! I'll look into having taxes withheld to avoid a big bill later.

Definitely worth it! Any income is better than no income, plus it keeps you active in the job market and might lead to full-time opportunities.

True, and it probably looks better to future employers than just being unemployed for months.

Yeah that's exactly why I used it. The hold times with Washington ESD are absolutely ridiculous. At least with Claimyr you know you'll actually talk to someone.

I'll check out that video demo you mentioned. Anything beats sitting on hold all day.

That's a really good point I hadn't considered. My part-time schedule is flexible though so I think I'll be okay.

Just document that flexibility in case Washington ESD ever asks. They can be pretty strict about the availability requirement.

Yes, you report ALL work and income regardless of how many jobs it comes from. Washington ESD looks at your total weekly earnings to calculate any partial benefit.

Makes sense. Thanks for clarifying that!

How often do they actually audit? Should I be worried if I've been reporting everything correctly?

If you're reporting correctly you have nothing to worry about. The audits catch people who aren't reporting income, not people who are following the rules.

Glad this helped you too! I'm feeling much more confident about starting my part-time job now.

Seasonal work can be great for keeping your skills sharp and networking. Definitely worth considering.

Great advice! I'll make sure to keep everything organized. Thanks everyone for all the helpful information!

Good luck with your new job! Sounds like you're well-prepared to handle the reporting requirements correctly.

This is so important! I know people who got disqualified because they stopped doing job searches once they got part-time work.

Exactly. Washington ESD's goal is to get you back to full-time employment, not to support long-term partial benefits.

Yes, that's exactly what I used it for! The agent was able to walk me through the exact calculation for my situation and answer my specific questions about reporting requirements.

Perfect, I'll definitely check out that demo video then. Thanks for the recommendation!