What day do I file my weekly unemployment claim with Washington ESD?

You can file your weekly claim starting Sunday for the previous week. So if you're filing for the week of January 6-12, you can submit it starting Sunday January 13th. Most people file on Sunday or Monday to get it out of the way.

I always file mine on Sunday morning while having coffee. Makes it a routine so I never forget. The Washington ESD website is usually pretty quick on Sunday mornings too.

Just a heads up - if you can't get through to the Washington ESD website or phone system when you need to check something about your claim, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helps you actually reach an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling when I had an issue with my weekly claim.

You have until the following Saturday to file, but don't wait that long! File as soon as possible after Sunday. If you wait too long you might forget important details about your job search activities for that week.

been filing for 6 months now and i always do it sunday night before bed. never had any issues with timing.

One thing to remember - if you work any days during the week you're reporting, make sure you report those hours and earnings accurately. Even if it's just a few hours, Washington ESD needs to know about it.

The Washington ESD website usually works best early in the morning on Sunday. If you try to file later in the day sometimes it gets slow because everyone's doing it at once.

Make sure you're keeping track of your job search activities throughout the week! You need to do at least 3 job search activities per week and report them when you file. I use a simple spreadsheet to track applications, networking, and other activities.

If you miss filing for a week, don't panic. You can still file the following week but you might need to call Washington ESD to explain why you missed it. They're usually understanding if it was just a mistake.

Another thing about timing - if you're on standby status (like if you're expecting to be called back to work soon), you still need to file weekly. Same schedule, just different questions on the form.

Does anyone know if you can file your weekly claim from your phone? The Washington ESD website seems to work okay on mobile but I wasn't sure if that was recommended.

Pro tip: Set a phone reminder for Sunday morning to file your weekly claim. I use a recurring alarm that goes off at 8 AM every Sunday with the note 'File UI claim'. Never missed a week since I started doing that.

Question about the job search requirement - if I have a job interview during the week I'm reporting, does that count as job search activity even if I don't get the job?

If you're having trouble accessing your account to file weekly claims, sometimes clearing your browser cookies helps. The Washington ESD website can be finicky about cached login info.

I've been filing for unemployment for about 8 months now and Sunday morning filing has become second nature. The key is consistency - same day, same time every week. Makes it way less likely you'll forget or mess up the timing.

One more thing about getting help with Washington ESD - I mentioned Claimyr earlier but wanted to add that it's especially useful if you need to ask about specific timing issues or if your weekly claim gets flagged for some reason. Much easier than trying to call the regular Washington ESD number.

Don't stress too much about the exact timing. As long as you file sometime between Sunday and Saturday for the previous week, you're good. The important thing is being consistent and accurate with your information.

Make sure you have your Social Security number and all your job search info ready before you start filing. The session can time out if you take too long, and then you have to start over.

Sunday filing gang checking in! 🙋‍♀️ It really is the best day to get it done. Fresh start to the week and you don't have to think about it anymore.

Final reminder about getting help when you need it - if you ever run into issues with your weekly claims or need to talk to Washington ESD about adjudication or anything else, don't spend weeks trying to call. Claimyr.com has been a lifesaver for a lot of people here. Just wanted to mention it one more time since calling Washington ESD directly can be such a nightmare.