What disqualifies you from Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

What counts as 'good cause' for quitting? I've been thinking about leaving my current job because my hours got cut so much.

Good cause includes things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, significant changes to job duties or pay, or personal circumstances like illness or domestic violence. Hour reductions might qualify depending on how severe.

Actually it's a minimum of 3 job search activities per week, not necessarily 3 applications. Can include networking events, job fairs, interviews, etc. But yes, you absolutely need to document everything.

How long did the appeal take? I'm worried about getting disqualified and then being without income during appeals.

Mine took about 6 weeks but I've heard it can vary. The good news is if you win the appeal you get back pay for the weeks you were wrongly disqualified.

Never heard of that before, how does it work exactly?

They basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an agent. Saves you from sitting on hold forever or dealing with the busy signals.

What if you forget to report one week? Is that automatic disqualification?

Not necessarily automatic, especially if it's clearly an honest mistake. But you should contact Washington ESD immediately to correct it. The key is being proactive about fixing errors.

That's helpful to know. I guess it's not just black and white whether getting fired disqualifies you.

What about if you're in school? I was thinking about taking some classes while unemployed.

You can go to school but you still have to be available for work. So if classes conflict with potential work schedules, that could be an issue. Washington does have some training programs that allow exceptions though.

How do you find out what your base period is?

It's usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. Your monetary determination letter will show all the wages they have on file.

Document everything your boss is doing that's making it a hostile work environment. You might have good cause to quit if it rises to the level of harassment or unsafe conditions. But gather evidence first.

Yeah definitely document it. I had a similar situation and having written records of incidents really helped when I had to explain why I quit.

Is the waiting week every time you file or just the first time?

It's for each new claim year, so if you exhaust benefits and file again later, you'd have another waiting week.

What other programs? I do gig work and wasn't sure if I'd qualify for anything.

There used to be Pandemic Unemployment Assistance but that ended. Now it depends on whether you've been paying into the system as self-employed or if you have W-2 wages mixed in.

How much does that cost though? I'm unemployed so money is tight.

It's not free but honestly saved me so much time and stress. Check out their site at claimyr.com to see if it makes sense for your situation.

I got referred to WorkSource but the appointment was during work hours at my part-time job. Can I reschedule?

Yes, you should be able to reschedule. Just make sure to contact them ahead of time rather than just not showing up.

This is all really helpful. Sounds like the key is just being very careful and documenting everything.

Exactly! And don't be afraid to ask questions. Better to clarify the rules upfront than deal with overpayments or disqualifications later.

Is there help available for appeals? The legal language in these notices is confusing.

Yes, there are legal aid organizations that help with unemployment appeals. WorkSource offices sometimes have information about free legal assistance too.

That makes sense. The website has so much information but it's hard to know what applies to your specific situation.

Thanks everyone! This gives me a much better understanding of what to watch out for.

Good luck! Just remember that if you're ever unsure about something, it's better to ask than to guess wrong.