What is a good reason to get unemployment - Washington ESD eligibility requirements?
I'm trying to understand what qualifies as a valid reason for unemployment benefits in Washington state. My company has been cutting hours drastically and I'm barely getting 15 hours a week now when I used to work full-time. Is reduced hours a good enough reason to file with Washington ESD? I've never dealt with unemployment before and don't want to file if I'm not eligible. What are the main reasons people qualify for UI benefits?
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Ava Harris
Reduced hours can definitely qualify you for partial unemployment benefits in Washington! You don't have to be completely laid off. If your hours were cut significantly through no fault of your own, you can file a claim. Washington ESD looks at whether the reduction was due to lack of work, not because of something you did wrong.
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Chloe Delgado
•That's good to know! I was worried they'd think I should just find another job instead of filing for benefits.
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Jacob Lee
•Yeah partial unemployment is totally a thing. I got it when my restaurant cut my shifts from 40 hours to 20 hours during their slow season.
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Emily Thompson
The main qualifying reasons for Washington ESD unemployment are: 1) Laid off due to lack of work, 2) Hours reduced significantly, 3) Fired for reasons other than misconduct, 4) Quit for good cause (like unsafe working conditions or harassment). You have to be able and available to work, and actively seeking work if you're not on standby status.
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Sophie Hernandez
•What counts as 'good cause' for quitting? My boss has been really hostile lately and I'm thinking about leaving.
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Emily Thompson
•Good cause includes things like harassment, unsafe conditions, significant changes to your job duties, or constructive dismissal. Document everything if you're considering quitting - Washington ESD will want proof.
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Daniela Rossi
I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I first filed because their phone lines are always busy. If you need to talk to someone about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful.
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Chloe Delgado
•How does that work exactly? Do they call for you or something?
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Daniela Rossi
•They help you get through the busy phone system to reach a real Washington ESD representative. Much better than spending hours redialing and getting hung up on.
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Ryan Kim
ugh the washington esd system is so confusing!!! i got fired from my job for being late too many times (my fault) but my friend said i should still try to file?? is that even worth it or will they just deny me right away??
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Ava Harris
•If you were fired for misconduct like attendance issues, it's harder to qualify but not impossible. Washington ESD will review your case during adjudication to determine if it rises to the level of misconduct that would disqualify you.
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Ryan Kim
•ok so should i be honest about why i got fired when i file the claim?
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Emily Thompson
•Always be honest! Washington ESD will contact your employer anyway. Lying on your application can get you in bigger trouble than the original firing.
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Zoe Walker
I qualified when my seasonal job ended. Even if you know the job is temporary, you can still file for benefits when it ends as long as you worked enough hours and earned enough wages in your base period.
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Sophie Hernandez
•What's the base period? I keep seeing that term but don't understand it.
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Zoe Walker
•The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. Washington ESD uses that to calculate your weekly benefit amount and total benefits.
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Elijah Brown
Medical reasons can also qualify you in some cases. I had to quit my job because of a disability and qualified for benefits while I looked for work that accommodated my condition. But you need medical documentation.
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Chloe Delgado
•I didn't know medical issues could qualify you for UI benefits. That's helpful to know.
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Elijah Brown
•Yeah, as long as you're still able and available to work with reasonable accommodations, you can qualify. It's not the same as disability benefits.
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Maria Gonzalez
Company closure is obviously a good reason lol. My whole department got eliminated in a restructure and we all filed the same week. Washington ESD processed those claims pretty quickly since it was clearly not our fault.
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Jacob Lee
•Same thing happened at my company last year. Mass layoffs usually get processed faster than individual claims.
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Natalie Chen
•How long did it take to get your first payment? I just filed and I'm worried about how long the wait will be.
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Maria Gonzalez
•About 3 weeks for me, but that was before they had staffing issues. Could be longer now.
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Santiago Martinez
DONT FILE UNLESS YOU HAVE TO!!! the system is broken and they'll just make your life miserable with all their requirements and job search logs and stupid weekly claims that dont work half the time
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Ava Harris
•The system has issues but if you qualify for benefits, you should file. The weekly claims system works fine most of the time, and the job search requirements aren't that bad.
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Santiago Martinez
•easy for you to say you probably never had your claim stuck in adjudication for 2 months with no explanation
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Daniela Rossi
•That's exactly when Claimyr helped me - when my claim was stuck and I couldn't get anyone on the phone to explain what was happening.
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Samantha Johnson
Just want to add that being on strike or locked out during a labor dispute can also qualify you for benefits after a certain waiting period. Not many people know about that one.
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Emily Thompson
•Good point! There's usually a waiting period for labor disputes, but workers can eventually qualify for benefits in many cases.
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Nick Kravitz
Construction worker here - seasonal layoffs are super common in our industry and definitely qualify. Most of us file every winter when work slows down. It's designed for situations exactly like that.
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Hannah White
•Do you have to look for work during the off-season or can you just wait for your regular employer to call you back?
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Nick Kravitz
•If you have a definite return date within 12 weeks, you might qualify for standby status where you don't have to actively job search. Otherwise you need to look for work.
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Michael Green
I qualified when I had to quit to care for a family member. Washington state has specific provisions for family care situations. You need documentation but it's definitely possible.
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Chloe Delgado
•I had no idea family care could be good cause for leaving a job. That's really helpful information.
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Michael Green
•Yeah, it's not widely known but Washington ESD recognizes certain family care responsibilities as good cause for voluntary separation.
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Mateo Silva
honestly just file if you think you might qualify. worst case they deny you and you appeal or move on. best case you get benefits you need. the application process itself is free
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Victoria Jones
•This is good advice. People overthink it too much when they could just apply and let Washington ESD make the determination.
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Cameron Black
Major life changes like domestic violence situations can also qualify you for benefits if you had to quit your job for safety reasons. There are special protections for those cases.
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Emily Thompson
•Very important point. Washington ESD has specific procedures for domestic violence cases and they take them seriously.
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Jessica Nguyen
The key thing is that you have to be unemployed through no fault of your own OR have good cause if you quit voluntarily. Washington ESD will investigate either way to make sure you meet the eligibility requirements.
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Chloe Delgado
•Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much more confident about filing my claim now.
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Ava Harris
•Good luck with your claim! Make sure to file as soon as possible since there's usually a waiting week and benefits don't start until after you file.
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Isaiah Thompson
Also remember that even if you get denied initially, you can appeal the decision. A lot of people give up after the first denial but the appeals process exists for a reason.
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Ruby Garcia
•How long do you have to file an appeal if you get denied?
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Isaiah Thompson
•You have 30 days from the date of the determination letter to file an appeal. Don't wait - the deadline is strict.
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Daniela Rossi
•This is another situation where being able to talk to a Washington ESD representative through Claimyr really helps. They can explain the appeals process and what documentation you need.
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Omar Mahmoud
Just to add another perspective - if you're working multiple part-time jobs and one of them cuts your hours or lets you go, you can still file for partial unemployment benefits even if you're still working the other job(s). Washington ESD will calculate your benefits based on the reduced income. A lot of people don't realize this and think you have to be completely unemployed to file a claim.
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Sean Flanagan
•That's really useful to know! I had no idea you could file for partial benefits while still working another job. So many people probably miss out on benefits they're entitled to because they think it's all or nothing.
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