Which of the following are generally not eligible for Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

That's what I was afraid of. She's been doing 1099 work exclusively. Is there any other type of assistance she might qualify for?

She should check if she qualifies for any state assistance programs, but for unemployment specifically, she'd need traditional employment history.

Wait, federal employees can't get Washington ESD benefits? I thought all workers could apply if they lose their job.

Federal employees have their own unemployment system called UCFE (Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees). They can't file through Washington ESD.

The earnings requirement trips up a lot of people. You need substantial work history, not just any job for a few weeks.

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr.com - they help you get through to Washington ESD agents. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

That sounds too good to be true. How does it actually work?

It's legitimate - they handle the calling process and connect you when an agent is available. Much better than spending all day redialing.

Agricultural workers have their own specific rules in Washington. Some are covered, some aren't, depending on the size of the farm operation.

yeah its confusing. my cousin works on a small farm and couldn't get benefits when they laid him off last winter.

This is news to me! I work in real estate sales. Are you saying I wouldn't qualify if my brokerage let me go?

It depends on how you're classified and paid. If you're getting W-2s and have some base pay, you might qualify. Pure commission-only workers often don't meet the wage requirements.

Real estate agents are often classified as independent contractors, which would make them ineligible regardless of the commission structure.

Seasonal workers can sometimes qualify, but there are special rules. If you work the same seasonal job every year with reasonable assurance of returning, you might not be eligible during the off-season.

That's frustrating. So basically if I have a good seasonal job, I'm penalized for it?

The idea is that if you have reasonable assurance of returning to work, you're not truly unemployed in the traditional sense.

If she had any W-2 employment in the past 18 months that met the minimum earnings threshold, she might qualify based on that work history. The 1099 work wouldn't count toward benefits, but the W-2 work could.

I'll ask her about that. She might have had some part-time W-2 work earlier last year.

Wait, really? I'm a college student and I work part-time. If I got fired, I couldn't get unemployment?

If you're enrolled in school full-time, you're generally not considered available for full-time work, which is a requirement for UI benefits.

There are some exceptions for students, but the general rule is that you need to be available for full-time work to qualify for benefits.

Good point. Military unemployment is handled separately from civilian unemployment in most states.

Exactly. They have their own system with different rules and requirements.

What counts as good cause? I'm thinking about quitting my job because my boss is making my life miserable.

Good cause typically includes things like unsafe working conditions, significant changes to your job duties or pay, or documented harassment. Just not liking your boss usually doesn't qualify.

You'd need to document everything and try to resolve the issues through proper channels before quitting if you want to claim good cause.

The Washington ESD website has an eligibility checker tool, but it's pretty basic. For complex situations, you really need to talk to an agent.

I used Claimyr when I needed to get specific answers about my eligibility. Much easier than trying to get through on the phone myself. You can check it out at claimyr.com.

Thanks, I'll look into that. These phone lines are impossible to get through on.

What's the difference between being fired for cause and misconduct? I got fired for being late too many times.

Misconduct usually has to be willful and substantial. Chronic tardiness could qualify as misconduct depending on the circumstances and whether you were warned.

There's a difference between simple misconduct and gross misconduct too. The severity affects your eligibility and any potential waiting periods.

But what if you were an owner who also took a regular salary? Like if you owned 25% of a company but were also a regular employee?

That gets complicated. Usually if you have significant ownership or control, you're not eligible, but there might be exceptions for minority owners who are also employees.

I didn't know that! So if I work for a church and get laid off, I can't get unemployment?

Some religious organizations elect out of the unemployment system, but not all. It depends on the specific organization and how they're classified.

That makes sense. So it's really about being involuntarily unemployed and available for work.

Exactly. And you need to have enough recent work history to establish a claim. All these specific categories we've discussed are just different ways those basic requirements aren't met.

Yes, I used it last month when I needed to resolve an issue with my claim. It really works - they called me back when an agent was available instead of me sitting on hold for hours.

That's exactly what I need. The regular phone lines are useless.

The video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ shows exactly how it works if you want to see before trying it.

The system was designed for traditional employer-employee relationships. As the economy has changed with more gig work and contractors, the gaps have become more obvious.

Makes sense. Hopefully the rules will evolve to cover more types of modern work arrangements in the future.