When should I file unemployment benefits with Washington ESD?

Thanks! I wasn't sure if there was some kind of penalty for filing too early. I'll get started on it today.

Yeah definitely don't wait. I made that mistake and lost out on a week of benefits because I thought I needed to organize everything first.

What exactly is this waiting period? Does that mean I won't get paid for the first week?

Correct, there's a one-week unpaid waiting period for your first unemployment claim in Washington. It's just how the system works.

Actually, you can get that waiting period week paid later if you exhaust all your regular benefits or if certain other conditions are met. But don't count on it.

Interesting, I've never heard of that. Did you have to pay for it or give them your personal info?

Yeah there's a cost but it was totally worth it to actually talk to someone instead of spending hours on hold. They don't need your personal claim details or anything like that.

Sounds sketchy to me. Why would you pay someone to make a phone call for you?

Do I need pay stubs or can I just estimate my wages?

Washington ESD will verify your wages directly with your employers, so estimates are fine for now. Having your pay stubs handy helps but isn't required to file.

Oh great, that's reassuring... Did you eventually get it sorted out?

Yeah but it was a pain. The website works better early in the morning or late at night when fewer people are using it.

The Washington ESD website is honestly garbage. I had the same timeout issues. Try using a different browser if you run into problems.

That's a good point. I was thinking maybe I should job hunt for a week first but you're right, I can always cancel it.

Exactly! And the job search requirement doesn't even start until after your waiting period anyway, so you have time to get organized.

What kind of additional reviews? Should I be worried about something?

Nothing to worry about if it was a legitimate layoff. Sometimes Washington ESD just needs to verify the reason for separation with your employer. It's routine.

Yeah if your employer contests the claim or if there's any confusion about whether you were laid off vs fired, it goes to adjudication. Usually takes a few weeks to resolve.

How long has it been taking for people to get their first payment?

For me it's been two weeks and still nothing, but I think that's longer than usual. Most people I know got paid within 7-10 days of filing.

This is so true. I spent a week gathering paperwork and trying to remember exact dates when I could have just filed and figured it out as I went.

Same here. I was so worried about making a mistake that I delayed filing for almost two weeks. Biggest regret ever.

Thanks for the warning. Is WorkSource registration something I need to do right away or can I wait?

You can wait until after your waiting period, but some people register right away just to get it out of the way. It's free and takes about 20 minutes online.

Good to know there are options if I can't get through the normal way. Hopefully I won't need it but I'll keep it in mind.

I was skeptical about paying for something like that but honestly it worked great. Got connected to a real person at Washington ESD within minutes instead of hours.

Thanks, I needed to hear that. I was feeling a bit embarrassed about the whole thing.

Nothing to be embarrassed about! Layoffs happen to good people all the time. It's not your fault the company restructured.

That's good advice. I was planning to take a few days to decompress but you're probably right about starting the search early.

Definitely start looking right away. I took a week off and regretted it because all the good jobs got snapped up while I was sitting around.

Wow, that's really helpful coming from someone in HR. I definitely won't wait any longer.

That's exactly right. I'm also in HR and we actually give people the Washington ESD website info as part of their exit paperwork now because so many people used to wait too long.