What makes you eligible to collect unemployment in Washington - confused about requirements

Thanks! How do I figure out what my base period is exactly? I started working in March 2024.

If you file now in January 2025, your base period would be January 2024 through December 2024. Since you started in March, you'd only have earnings from March-December 2024 to count.

What counts as good cause for quitting? I'm thinking about leaving my current job because of harassment but not sure if that would make me eligible.

Good cause includes things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, significant changes to your job duties or pay. You'd need to document everything though and try to resolve it with your employer first in most cases.

How many job contacts do you have to make each week? I keep seeing different numbers online.

It's usually 3 job search activities per week, but it can be more depending on your situation. Activities include applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking, etc. Not just applications.

I thought it was 5 job searches per week? Maybe it changed recently?

Really? How does that work exactly? I'm worried I'll need to talk to someone about my specific situation.

It basically calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to a real person instead of dealing with the busy signals and waiting on hold forever. Super helpful when you have specific questions about eligibility.

Actually Washington doesn't have an hours requirement, just the wage requirements I mentioned earlier. Some states do but Washington ESD only looks at your earnings.

oh ok my bad, must be thinking of another state

Unfortunately contractor wages usually don't count unless you paid into the unemployment system as self-employed, which most contractors don't. Only your W-2 employee wages from November forward would count.

Ugh that's what I was afraid of. So I probably don't have enough wages then.

What day do you have to file the weekly claims? Is it the same day every week?

You file every Sunday for the previous week. So this Sunday you'd file for the week ending January 11th. You can file online through your Washington ESD account.

Wait really? So you just don't get paid for that first week at all?

Exactly. It's like a deductible. You still have to file the weekly claim for that week, you just don't get paid for it.

How long did your adjudication take? I'm worried mine might get held up too.

Mine took about 3 weeks. They had to contact my former employer to confirm I was laid off and not fired for cause. Just be patient and respond quickly to any requests for information.

What about if you're collecting Social Security? Does that affect your unemployment benefits?

Social Security retirement benefits can reduce your weekly unemployment amount dollar for dollar in Washington. But Social Security disability is handled differently. You'd need to check with Washington ESD about your specific situation.

That sounds scary! How much did you have to pay back?

About $800. It was my fault for not understanding the reporting requirements. Now I'm super careful about reporting every penny I earn.

Is that service free? I'm already stressed about money and don't want to pay for something I should be able to do myself.

I understand the concern about cost, but for me it was worth it to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD instead of being stuck in phone tree hell. Sometimes you need that human contact to sort things out.

Oh no, I was laid off 3 weeks ago but just started thinking about filing now. Does that mean I lost 3 weeks of benefits?

Unfortunately yes, in most cases. Washington ESD benefits start the week you file your initial claim, not when you became unemployed. That's why it's so important to file right away.

How do you request the alternate base period? Is there a checkbox or do you have to call?

I think there's an option during the online application process, but you might need to call if your claim gets denied initially due to insufficient wages. They can recalculate using the alternate base period.

This is so helpful. I thought once you were approved you just got money automatically. Didn't realize there were weekly requirements.

Yep, unemployment is basically a weekly contract. Every Sunday you're certifying that you still meet all the requirements for that week. Miss a certification or fail to meet requirements and your benefits stop.

That's good advice. I was worried about applying if I wasn't 100% sure I qualified. Thanks everyone for all the helpful information!

Exactly! I almost didn't apply because I thought I hadn't worked long enough, but it turned out I did qualify. Better to try and get denied than not try at all.

What kind of records should I keep for job search activities? Just a list of where I applied?

Date, employer name, position applied for, method of contact (online, in person, etc.), and what type of activity it was. Washington ESD can audit your job search log so you want to be thorough.

Thank you so much! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I feel much more confident about applying now.