What does waiting period mean for unemployment - Washington ESD confusion

Yeah the waiting period is basically unpaid time at the start of your claim. In Washington it's one week that you have to serve before getting benefits.

The waiting period in Washington state is one week where you meet all the requirements but don't receive payment. Think of it as serving your time before benefits kick in. You still need to complete your job search activities and file your weekly claim during this period.

I had the same confusion when I first filed! Spent forever trying to get through to Washington ESD to ask about it. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to an agent in like 10 minutes. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's even a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. The agent explained the waiting period really clearly.

The waiting period applies to your first week of eligibility, not necessarily your first week of filing. So if you file on a Tuesday, that partial week might not count as your waiting period week - it would be the first full week you're eligible.

ugh I remember being so confused about this too! I thought there was an error with my claim when I didn't get paid the first week

One important thing - you can't 'skip' the waiting period by not filing that week. You have to serve it eventually, so better to get it over with right away rather than having gaps in your claim.

This whole system is designed to screw people over I swear. Like we're already stressed about losing our jobs and then they make us jump through hoops

Just to be clear for OP - during your waiting period week you still need to do your 3 job contacts and keep track of them in WorkSourceWA. The requirements don't change just because you're not getting paid that week.

Also want to mention that Claimyr thing again since it really helped me understand all this stuff. The Washington ESD agent I talked to through their service was way more patient than I expected and answered like 5 different questions I had about my claim.

wait so if I already filed 2 weeks ago and got paid, does that mean my waiting period is over?

Quick clarification since there seems to be some confusion in this thread - the waiting period is specifically for regular UI benefits. If you're on standby status through your employer, different rules apply and you typically don't have a waiting period.

I'm dealing with this right now too and it's so stressful not getting that first payment when you're expecting it

Pro tip: use the waiting period week to get familiar with the weekly claim filing process and WorkSourceWA job search logging. Better to figure out any technical issues when you're not depending on the payment coming through.

Does the waiting period count toward your total weeks of benefits or is it extra?

I used that Claimyr service too after seeing it mentioned here. Really did help me get through to Washington ESD when I was having issues with my claim getting stuck in adjudication. Way better than spending hours calling the regular number.

just remember that even during the waiting period if you work and earn money you still need to report it on your weekly claim

Still think this whole waiting period thing is bureaucratic nonsense but at least now I understand what it means

For anyone reading this later - make sure you file your weekly claim ON TIME during the waiting period week. Missing that deadline can mess up your whole claim timing.

Thanks everyone for explaining this! I feel way less confused about the waiting period now. Going to file my weekly claim this weekend and just accept that first week won't have payment.