Will declining a job offer after interview affect my ESD weekly claim?

Yes, you MUST report that you were offered and declined work. On your weekly claim there's a question specifically asking if you refused any work. ESD requires full disclosure of all job offers. However, this doesn't automatically mean you'll be disqualified - it depends on whether the job is considered \

Thank you! That's what I was afraid of. Do you know what they consider \

Honestly depends if they report it to ESD. When you decline a job offer, some employers report it to unemployment and others don't bother. But you should definitely report it on your weekly claim to be safe. You answer \

this is terrible advice! always report everything accurately or you could end up with an overpayment and penalties later

According to WAC 192-170-050, \

This is really helpful! I'll definitely mention both the pay cut and the hours situation when I file my claim this week. I was so worried they would just automatically disqualify me.

i had the same thing happen last month!! got offered a job that woulda cut my pay by like 30% and when i said no my claim was fine. just make sure u answer the questions honestly. the esd people told me that u can turn down jobs that r significantly worse than ur previous employment

This isn't entirely accurate. The job has to be deemed \

I've been trying to reach ESD for 3 weeks with questions like this and can't get through! I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an ESD agent in about 25 minutes after I'd been trying for DAYS. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. The agent told me that for job refusals, you need to report them and provide documentation of why the job wasn't suitable if they question it.

Thanks for the tip! If I have trouble getting through to ask questions about this, I might try that service. Did you talk to an actual ESD agent or someone from the service?

It connects you with actual ESD agents - they just help you skip the wait. The ESD agent was super helpful explaining what constitutes suitable work. Saved me hours of redial frustration.

I think everyone is overcomplicating this!!! Just be HONEST on your claim form and check YES that you refused work. Then explain your good reasons - lower pay and crazy hours. ESD isn't trying to force people into terrible jobs, they just want to make sure you're not turning down appropriate work. As long as you have legitimate reasons (which you do), you should be fine.

Something to consider - did they make you an official written offer or was it just verbal? Because technically if it was just a verbal conversation, some people might not consider that a formal

This is incorrect and potentially harmful advice. ESD regulations clearly state that ANY job offer - written or verbal - must be reported when you refuse it. The format of the offer is irrelevant. Failing to report a refused job offer can result in disqualification for benefits and potential overpayment assessment if discovered later.

Fair enough, I didn't realize verbal offers counted too. Just sharing what I'd heard from someone else, but sounds like that was wrong info. Thanks for clarifying.

Make sure you document EVERYTHING about why you declined the job. If ESD decides to investigate (which they might), you'll want proof that the hours were excessive and not in the original job description. Save the original job posting if you have it, write down notes from the interview, save any emails between you and the employer. In 2025, ESD is being much more thorough with these issues compared to past years.

That's good advice. I do have the original job listing saved that shows no mention of the overtime requirements, and I have the email where I politely declined explaining why. I'll keep those handy in case they ask for more information.

my cousin works at esd and he said they r really backed up right now so even if u report it they might not even look at it for weeks lol

Whether they review it immediately or not is irrelevant - the legal requirement is to report it accurately. If they discover an unreported job refusal during a later audit (which they regularly conduct), benefits can be retroactively denied and overpayments assessed with penalties.