What is a disqualified week for unemployment - Washington ESD confused me

I don't see any notices in my account explaining it. Should I call Washington ESD to find out the reason?

Yes, you should definitely call to get clarification. Sometimes the notices take a day or two to show up in your account, but calling will give you immediate answers.

How did you submit the proof? Did you have to mail it or was there an online option?

uploaded it through the secure messaging system in my account. took about a week to get reviewed and approved

That sounds helpful! I've been trying to call for days with no luck. How long did it take for them to connect you?

It took about 2 hours but I didn't have to sit on hold the whole time. They just called me back when they got through to an agent.

never heard of this service before but sounds like it could save a lot of time and frustration

What kind of mistake did you make? I'm worried I might have done something wrong too.

I put down that I applied for a job but didn't include the contact information properly. They said it didn't count as a valid job contact.

I didn't work at all that week, so it's not earnings related. Must be something else.

Then it's likely job search related or an issue with your availability. Did you have any appointments or travel that week that might have affected your availability?

I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday afternoon but I was available for work the rest of the week.

No, a disqualified week typically only affects that specific week. Your claim should continue normally for other weeks as long as you meet the requirements.

ok thats a relief, was really stressing about losing everything

How long do you have to appeal a disqualified week if you disagree with the decision?

You have 30 days from the date of the determination to file an appeal. Don't wait too long if you think the disqualification is wrong.

That's good advice. I've been keeping records but maybe not detailed enough.

What kind of details do you include in your spreadsheet? I want to make sure I'm tracking everything correctly.

company name, job title, date applied, how i applied (online, email, etc), contact info, and any follow up actions. basically everything washington esd might ask about

That gives me hope! Maybe it's just a display error. I'll definitely call to check.

Yeah, the Washington ESD system isn't perfect. Sometimes what you see online doesn't match what's actually in their records.

I feel you. It's stressful enough being unemployed without having to worry about every little detail on your weekly claim.

exactly! and trying to get someone on the phone to explain anything is nearly impossible

I thought I did 3 activities but let me double check my log. Maybe I miscounted or one didn't qualify.

Make sure each activity meets their requirements. Not all job search activities count toward the 3 required contacts.

That seems harsh! One day and they disqualify the whole week?

Yeah, if you're not available for work any part of the week, they can disqualify the entire week. It's frustrating but that's how their system works.

that happened to my brother too, he had food poisoning for 2 days and they disqualified his whole week

A couple people have mentioned this service now. Might be worth trying if I can't get through normally.

I was skeptical at first but it actually worked for me. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

Good point. I'll check if there are any other flags or issues when I call Washington ESD.

Yeah, sometimes there are backend issues that don't show up clearly in your online account but affect your weekly claims.

Thanks for the reassurance. I'll call tomorrow and see what they say about the disqualification.

Good luck! Keep us posted on what you find out. Might help others who run into the same issue.

Wow, that sounds like a nightmare. I hope mine is just a one-time thing.

yeah he eventually got most of the weeks paid but it was a huge hassle. definitely better to catch these things early

Good advice! I'll keep filing every week regardless of this issue.

Exactly. If you stop filing, you could lose your whole claim and have to start over from scratch.

I agree, the instructions aren't always clear. Would be nice if they gave better explanations upfront instead of disqualifying people after the fact.

exactly! and then when you try to call for clarification you can never get through to anyone

I hadn't thought about that. I'll ask about it when I call Washington ESD tomorrow.

Yeah, disqualified weeks can sometimes count against your total weeks even though you don't get paid for them. Important to clarify.

You're welcome! Hope you get it resolved quickly.

Let us know how it goes! These threads are really helpful for people dealing with similar issues.