Washington ESD work hour requirements - how many hours can I work and still get unemployment?

So if my weekly benefit is $350, I can earn up to $355 without any reduction? What happens if I make like $400 one week?

Exactly, you'd get $355 from combined sources that week. If you earn $400, your unemployment would be reduced by $45 ($400 - $355 = $45), so you'd get $305 from Washington ESD plus your $400 in wages.

This is so important! My friend got hit with an overpayment because she forgot to report some cash tips from her restaurant job.

Good point. I'll definitely report everything accurately on my weekly claims.

What's the partial work search exemption? I hadn't heard about that.

If you work at least 20 hours per week for the same employer, you might be exempt from some job search activities. Check your weekly claim instructions or call Washington ESD to confirm.

I tried calling Washington ESD about this exact thing last month and spent 3 hours on hold before giving up. Their phone system is absolutely terrible.

Is that legit? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point. The hold times are insane.

Yeah it's totally legitimate. They basically automate the calling process so you don't have to sit there hitting redial. Saved me hours of frustration.

I've heard of services like this but never tried one. Might be worth it just to get a straight answer from Washington ESD.

That makes sense. Right now it's just weekends, maybe 12-15 hours total, so I should be fine.

Perfect, that's well within the range where you can still collect benefits. Just keep reporting accurately.

How long have you been doing the part-time work while on unemployment? Any issues with Washington ESD?

About 4 months now. No problems as long as I report everything correctly. Sometimes I get full benefits, sometimes partial, depending on my hours that week.

Wait, you have to report work before you get paid for it? That seems weird.

Yeah, for self-employment or contract work, you report it the week you do the work, not when you receive payment. It's in the Washington ESD handbook.

That's exactly why I started using Claimyr - at least I could actually reach someone to ask questions. The consistency issue is real though.

The Washington ESD website has most of this info but it's buried in like 50 different PDFs. So annoying to navigate.

Should I tell my manager directly or just make sure HR knows?

I'd mention it to whoever handles payroll. They're the ones who need to make sure the wage reporting is done correctly.

I get the frustration, but it's actually pretty straightforward once you understand the basic rule: report everything, earn up to your benefit amount + $5 without reduction.

I guess that does make it simpler. I was overthinking the hour limits when it's really about the money.

That's reassuring. I was worried Washington ESD would see it as trying to cheat the system or something.

Nope, they actually encourage it! Partial work helps transition back to full employment, which is the whole point of the program.

Good idea. I'll start a little spreadsheet with my hours and earnings each week.

Screenshots of your weekly claim submissions are good to keep too, just in case.

That's good to know! I thought any significant hours would cut off benefits completely.

Nope! Even if you work close to full-time hours, if your wages are low enough, you might still qualify for some benefits.

Yeah, the weekly claim form walks you through it step by step. Much easier than trying to calculate everything yourself.

Thanks for the update! I'm definitely going to try it next time I need to call.

Good to know it actually works. I might use it if I run into any issues with my claim.

How do I find out what my specific work search requirements are with part-time work?

Check your weekly claim instructions or your WorkSourceWA account. It should tell you how many job search activities you need to complete each week.

Thanks everyone! This has been super helpful. I feel much more confident about taking those extra shifts now.

Glad this thread helped! The Washington ESD rules seem scary at first but they're actually pretty fair once you understand them.