What disqualifies you for unemployment benefits in Washington - got denied and confused

It says something about 'separation from employment' but I was laid off, not fired. This is so confusing.

Even layoffs get reviewed. Did you have any attendance issues or policy violations before being let go? Sometimes what employers report as layoffs actually get classified differently by Washington ESD.

Wait, there are specific job search requirements? I haven't been tracking my applications in any official way.

yeah you have to log all your job search activities in WorkSourceWA and meet minimum requirements each week

Is that legit? I've been calling for 3 weeks straight with no luck.

Totally legit. They basically call for you and get you connected to actual Washington ESD staff. Saved me hours of frustration.

Sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate at this point. Anything is better than this endless phone tag with Washington ESD.

This is super helpful! I think mine might be the wage credits issue. I only worked 8 months at my last job.

Check your base period carefully. Washington ESD looks at the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. If you didn't earn enough in that specific timeframe, you might be disqualified even if you worked recently.

Oh no, I think I might have missed a week too. Is that really grounds for disqualification?

Missing weekly claims can cause issues but usually they'll let you restart your claim. It depends on the circumstances and how long you were inactive.

THEY DONT CARE ABOUT CIRCUMSTANCES! Washington ESD just wants to save money by denying as many people as possible.

Misconduct for unemployment purposes is pretty specific. It has to be willful violation of company rules or standards. 'Attitude issues' alone usually isn't enough unless it involved insubordination or harassment.

That's what I thought! My supervisor just didn't like me but I never broke any actual rules. Definitely appealing this decision.

6 months?! That's ridiculous. How are people supposed to survive that long without income?

exactly why the system is broken. they hope you give up or find work before they have to pay you

What kind of evidence should I gather for an appeal? I don't have much documentation from my job.

Get copies of your personnel file, any written warnings or performance reviews, witness statements if applicable, and documentation of the circumstances around your job separation. The more evidence the better.

wait there are different types of disqualifications? mine just said disqualified i thought that was it

Yeah, some are just for a certain number of weeks, others until you meet certain conditions like earning wages at a new job. The determination letter should specify which type you have.

That gives me hope! Maybe mine is a mistake too. I'm definitely going to try calling them.

How much does that Claimyr thing cost? I'm already broke from being unemployed.

Honestly don't remember the exact cost but it was way cheaper than the stress and lost time from trying to call myself for weeks. Worth it to get actual answers.

I did put restrictions on my job search because I need certain hours due to childcare. Could that be why I got denied?

Possibly. Washington ESD wants to see you're available for suitable work, which usually means full-time during normal business hours. Childcare issues can sometimes qualify as good cause restrictions though.

DEFINE SUITABLE! They wanted me to take a job paying half what I made before. How is that suitable?

Generally suitable work means jobs that pay at least 70% of your previous wage for the first few weeks, then gradually lower thresholds. But it's complex and depends on local job market conditions.

I never got any information about WorkSourceWA registration. Where was I supposed to learn about this?

It should have been in your initial filing confirmation or handbook. Sometimes people miss it because there's so much information. Check your online account for any required activities.

Oh wow, I never thought about that. My job was regular W-2 employment though so that shouldn't be an issue.

yeah w2 should be fine. its the 1099 contractors and family employees that have problems

Wait, I should keep filing weekly claims even though I was disqualified? That seems weird.

Yes! If your appeal is successful, you'll only get paid for weeks you continued to file claims. It's like holding your place in line while the appeal is processed.

This is correct. Always continue filing weekly claims during appeals. You won't receive payments while disqualified, but if the disqualification is overturned, those claims become payable.

How do I find out what my employer reported? Is that something I can request?

You should be able to get this information from Washington ESD. It might be in your determination letter, or you can request the employer's response to your claim. This is where calling through Claimyr really helped me - got all the details explained clearly.

That's exactly what I'm dealing with! Going to try Claimyr right now. Thanks for the update!

See? Sometimes it really is just wrong information in their system. Glad you got it sorted out.

They accused me of fraud because I forgot to report 4 hours of part-time work one week. FOUR HOURS! Acting like I'm some master criminal.

Usually honest mistakes aren't treated as fraud, especially for small amounts. Did you correct it as soon as you realized the error? That makes a big difference in how they handle it.

Full-time students can sometimes still qualify if they meet certain criteria about availability for work. It's not an automatic disqualification but adds complications to the claim.

yeah she ended up appealing and won because she was doing online classes and could work any schedule. took forever though

Good luck with your appeal! Remember you have 30 days from the determination date, so don't wait too long.

Hope it works out for you. Getting the right information is half the battle with these disqualification issues.