What is partial benefit rate unemployment with Washington ESD?

That's helpful! So if I'm earning $400 a week and my benefit amount was $450, I'd still get some unemployment?

Exactly! You'd still get $50 in benefits ($450 - $400 = $50). Just make sure you report your gross earnings, not your take-home pay.

Oh good point about reporting when you worked vs when you got paid. I hadn't thought about that difference.

Yeah that trips up a lot of people. If you worked Monday-Friday but got paid the following Tuesday, you report those earnings for the week you actually worked.

Really? How does that work exactly? I've been trying to call for weeks about some questions.

They basically help you get through the phone system and connect with an actual person. Way better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected.

Interesting, never heard of that before. Might have to check it out since I can never get through to Washington ESD either.

Wait, I'm confused by your math. If I earn $300 and my benefit is $400, wouldn't I get $100 in benefits, not $105?

You're right to question that - let me clarify. There's a $5 earnings disregard, so you can earn up to $5 without any reduction. Then it's dollar-for-dollar after that. So: $400 benefit - ($300 earnings - $5 disregard) = $105.

Actually I think you both might be making it more complicated than it is. The formula is: Weekly Benefit Amount - (Gross Earnings - $5) = Partial Benefit. So $400 - ($300 - $5) = $105. That's correct.

Don't panic! As long as you're reporting your earnings honestly, minor mistakes can usually be corrected. The problems come when people don't report earnings at all.

ok that makes me feel a little better. I've been so stressed about messing this up.

Really? I had no idea about that. How many job searches do you need to do?

Same as regular unemployment - 3 job search activities per week. You can use WorkSourceWA to track them.

Yeah that surprised me too. I guess the logic is you're still looking for full-time work to get off benefits completely.

That's a good way to think about it. I was worried taking this part-time job would mess up my unemployment completely.

Nope, it actually shows Washington ESD that you're actively trying to get back to work. Just make sure you keep looking for full-time positions.

The partial benefits count toward your total benefit year, so you're still limited to 26 weeks total (or whatever your benefit year allows). It's not separate from regular unemployment.

Oh ok, so if I've been on regular unemployment for 10 weeks and partial for 2 months, that's all counting toward my 26 weeks?

Exactly. Each week you claim benefits, whether full or partial, counts toward your total benefit year.

Yikes, that sounds expensive. How did they find out?

They cross-reference with employer wage reports. It's not immediate but they eventually catch unreported earnings. The penalties made it way worse than just reporting honestly from the start.

this is exactly what I'm worried about!! I'm so scared of making a mistake.

I didn't know they had a calculator! That would definitely help me understand this better.

Yeah it's buried in their website but it's there. Just search for 'partial benefit calculator' on the Washington ESD site.

Good to know. I guess any work at all needs to be reported then.

Yep, any work for pay, even if it's just a couple hours. Better safe than sorry with Washington ESD.

That's encouraging! Did you have any issues with the reporting or calculations?

Not really, once I understood the system. The key is just being accurate and consistent with your reporting. And don't forget you still need to look for full-time work.

Yes, you report the actual gross earnings for each week when you file your weekly claim. So if you work 20 hours one week and 15 the next, you'd report different amounts.

Got it, thanks. I wasn't sure if I should average it out or report the actual weekly amounts.

Yeah I mentioned it earlier - it definitely works. I was able to get through and talk to someone about my partial benefit calculations when I couldn't get through any other way.

Cool, I might try it. I've been trying to call for weeks about some questions and keep getting hung up on.

I used Claimyr last month for a different issue and it was worth it. Way better than spending hours on hold with Washington ESD.

That's a good point. I was worried they'd think I wasn't serious about finding full-time work.

Not at all. It shows you're proactive about getting back into the workforce. Just keep documenting your full-time job search activities too.

Good advice. I'll start keeping better records of my hours and pay stubs.

Exactly. Pay stubs, timesheets, anything that shows when you worked and how much you earned. It's good protection if there are ever any questions.

You're welcome! Just remember - when in doubt, report it. It's always better to be overly cautious with Washington ESD.

Agreed, thanks to everyone who helped explain this. This thread was super helpful!