What happens if you refuse a job offer on unemployment Washington ESD benefits?

That's helpful to know about the 75% rule. Do you know how they determine if the job matches my skills? I have 12 years in marketing and this offer is for basic data entry.

With that big of a skill mismatch, you'd probably have grounds to refuse. But you need to document everything - the job offer details, why it's not suitable, and report it properly to Washington ESD when you file your weekly claim.

How long did the adjudication take? I'm worried about my benefits getting suspended while they investigate.

Mine took about 3 weeks but I kept filing my weekly claims the whole time. They eventually approved all the back payments once the decision came through.

Oh no, that's exactly what I'm afraid of! How did you eventually resolve it?

Honestly, I used a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Made all the difference in actually talking to someone about my appeal.

Never heard of that service but it sounds interesting. The phone system at Washington ESD is absolutely impossible to navigate on your own.

Valid reasons include: wages substantially lower than previous job (usually below 75%), excessive commute distance, job doesn't match your skills/experience, unsafe working conditions, or conflicts with your availability due to other commitments like school.

ok so basically if it pays way less or is totally different from what i did before i should be ok to refuse?

Those are definitely valid reasons but you have to document everything properly. Don't just refuse - make sure you understand exactly why it's not suitable work and can explain it to Washington ESD.

Are you still getting benefits while fighting about it? That's my biggest worry - losing income while they sort it out.

Benefits got suspended after the second refusal. Had to file an appeal and prove the jobs weren't suitable. It's been a mess trying to reach anyone at Washington ESD to explain my situation properly.

I didn't realize employers report refusals! Does that automatically trigger an investigation?

Not automatically, but it does create a record. Washington ESD might follow up with questions about why you refused. Having good documentation of your reasons becomes even more important.

This is exactly why I kept detailed notes about every job offer I received. When Washington ESD asked questions, I had everything documented with dates and reasons.

There's no specific number, but Washington ESD looks at patterns. If you're refusing multiple suitable job offers, they'll question whether you're genuinely seeking work. Each refusal needs to have valid reasons.

That makes sense. I guess the key is making sure each refusal is actually justified and not just because I don't feel like taking the job.

EXACTLY! They want you off unemployment so bad they'll force you into poverty-level jobs. The whole thing is designed to push people off benefits, not actually help them find appropriate work.

I understand the frustration, but the system does have protections for situations like this. The 75% wage rule and skill matching requirements exist for good reasons. You just have to know how to use them properly.

That's reassuring to hear! Did she have to submit the documentation right away or wait for them to ask for it?

She included it when she reported the job offer on her weekly claim. Better to be proactive than reactive when it comes to Washington ESD.

Good to know the messaging system actually works! I was planning to call but that sounds much less stressful.

Lucky you got a response through messaging. I tried that route first and never heard back. That's when I ended up using Claimyr to actually reach someone by phone.

Good point about being professional. I'll make sure to decline properly and save copies of any emails.

Exactly. Washington ESD wants to see that you're engaging in good faith with the job search process, even when refusing offers that aren't suitable.

Did you report the refusals on your weekly claims or wait for Washington ESD to find out somehow?

I reported them right away on my weekly claims. I figured transparency was better than them finding out later and wondering why I didn't mention it.

That's encouraging! How detailed did you get in your explanations?

Very detailed. I included information about my previous job, the offered position, salary comparison, commute distance, and how it didn't match my experience level. The more specific you can be, the better.

I didn't think about scheduling conflicts being a valid reason. That's good to know for future reference.

yeah they have to be reasonable about life circumstances. single parents cant just abandon their kids for any random job offer

That's correct. There's typically a grace period where you can be more selective, but it decreases over time. The exact timeline can vary based on your circumstances and local unemployment rates.

I'm at 8 weeks now so probably past that grace period. Good thing this job offer is so obviously unsuitable for my background.

How does that service work exactly? Is it expensive?

Check out their demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ - shows exactly how they help you get through to Washington ESD agents. Way less frustrating than trying to navigate their phone system yourself.

I definitely will! Reading everyone's responses has made me feel much more confident about refusing this offer. I'm going to document everything and be very clear about why it's not suitable work.

Smart approach. The documentation seems to be the key factor in most success stories I've heard.

Good distinction! In my case it's definitely a refusal since they made me an offer. I'll make sure to be clear about that when I report it.

Exactly. And remember to keep copies of the offer letter or email so you have proof of what exactly you refused and why.

This is so reassuring to hear from someone in almost the exact same situation! The career prospects angle is something I hadn't fully considered - taking a huge step backward like that could really hurt my ability to get back into marketing roles later. Did Washington ESD ask for any specific documentation about your experience level, or was it enough to just explain it in your weekly claim? I'm feeling much more confident about refusing this offer now, especially knowing they sided with you on such a similar case.

This gives me so much hope! I'm in almost the exact same boat - 12 years of marketing experience and this data entry offer is at about 60% of what I was making. I've been so worried about Washington ESD cutting me off, but hearing that they actually understood the career impact makes me feel way better about refusing. Did you have to go through the full adjudication process or did they accept your explanation right away when you reported it on your weekly claim?

This is incredibly helpful! I'm the original poster and your situation sounds almost identical to mine - 12 years in marketing and they're offering me basic data entry at about 60% of my previous salary. I was really nervous about refusing but your experience gives me so much confidence. The career prospects point is huge - taking such a massive step backward could really damage my ability to get back into marketing roles. Did Washington ESD require any specific proof of your marketing experience, or was explaining it in your weekly claim sufficient? I'm planning to refuse this offer and want to make sure I document everything properly like you did.

This is exactly what I needed to hear! I'm in a nearly identical situation - marketing professional being offered basic data entry at a massive pay cut. Your point about long-term career damage really resonates with me. Taking a role so far below my skill level could make it much harder to get back into marketing later. I'm curious about the timeline - how long did it take for Washington ESD to review your case and make their decision? I want to refuse this offer but I'm worried about my benefits getting suspended during any review process.

Wow, reading about your experience is such a relief! I'm actually the original poster and your situation sounds almost identical to mine. 12 years in marketing and they want me to do basic data entry for 40% less pay. I've been losing sleep over whether to refuse this offer, but knowing Washington ESD sided with you in such a similar case gives me the confidence I needed. The long-term career damage aspect is so important - taking such a huge step backward could really hurt my ability to land proper marketing roles later. How detailed did you get when explaining your experience level to them? I want to make sure I document everything properly when I refuse this offer.

This thread is so helpful! I'm not the original poster but I'm dealing with a very similar situation. I have a background in graphic design and just got offered a basic customer service phone job at almost half my previous salary. Reading about your successful refusal with Washington ESD gives me hope that I can turn this down without losing my benefits. The career damage point really hits home - taking such a big step backward could make it so much harder to get back into design work later. Did you mention that long-term career impact specifically in your documentation to Washington ESD, or did you focus more on the immediate skill/salary mismatch? I want to make sure I frame my refusal the right way when I report it.

I'm in a similar situation but with engineering - got offered a basic tech support role at about 55% of my previous salary after 8 years in software development. Reading your success story gives me confidence to refuse this offer too. The career damage aspect is exactly what I've been worried about - how do you explain to future employers why you took such a massive step backward? Did Washington ESD ask you to prove you were still actively looking for marketing roles at your skill level, or was it enough to just show the job offer was unsuitable? I've been documenting all my applications for marketing positions to show I'm genuinely seeking appropriate work.