what is waiting week for unemployment - Washington ESD confused about this requirement

The waiting week is basically the first week of your claim where you file a weekly claim but don't get paid for it. So if you're eligible, you'll get benefits starting from your second week of filing. It's like a one-week penalty that everyone has to serve.

omg this is so confusing, i thought i would get paid right away when i filed my claim last week

I've been trying to call Washington ESD for three days straight to ask about this exact thing and can't get through to anyone. The phone system is impossible. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to a real person there?

To clarify the waiting week - it's the first compensable week of your unemployment claim. You file your weekly claim like normal, but Washington ESD doesn't pay you for that week. After that, assuming you're eligible and approved, you'll receive payments for subsequent weeks.

I remember being so mad about this when I first filed for unemployment. Like you're already stressed about money and then they make you wait an extra week for no reason.

Does anyone know if there are exceptions to the waiting week? Like for certain types of layoffs or something?

This whole system is designed to make it as hard as possible to get help when you need it most

I think I'm still confused about when exactly the waiting week happens. Is it the first week I file a claim, or the first week I'm actually approved?

For what it's worth, I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it really did work. I was trying to call Washington ESD about my waiting week and other questions for weeks. Claimyr got me through in about 15 minutes and I was able to talk to an actual person who explained everything clearly.

Quick question - do you get paid for the waiting week eventually, like at the end of your claim? Or is that money just gone forever?

I wish Washington ESD would just explain this stuff clearly on their website instead of making everyone guess or spend hours on the phone

At least now I understand why my first payment was delayed. I thought there was something wrong with my claim but it was just the waiting week.

One more thing - make sure you keep filing your weekly claims during the waiting week and every week after. If you skip weeks you can lose benefits entirely.

I tried calling Washington ESD about this last month and finally got through using Claimyr. The rep explained that the waiting week also applies even if you have a partial claim - like if you're working reduced hours but still eligible for some unemployment benefits.

Bottom line: expect to wait an extra week for your first payment no matter what. Plan your finances accordingly because that waiting week catches a lot of people off guard.

Just want to add that the waiting week is required by state law in Washington - it's not just something Washington ESD made up to be difficult. RCW 50.20.010 specifically requires this unpaid waiting period. I know it's frustrating when you're already struggling financially, but understanding that it's a legal requirement helps explain why there aren't exceptions or workarounds. The law was designed this way to reduce the state's unemployment costs and encourage quick job searching, though I agree it feels harsh when you're the one dealing with it.

Just to add another perspective - I went through this exact same confusion when I first filed. The waiting week really is just that first week where you do everything normal (file your weekly claim, do job searches, etc.) but don't get paid. What helped me understand it was thinking of it like a "deductible" - you have to absorb that first week of lost wages yourself before the state unemployment insurance kicks in. It's definitely frustrating when you're already stressed about finances, but once you get past it, the payments come regularly as long as you keep filing your weekly claims on time.

I went through this same confusion when I filed last year. The waiting week basically means you'll file your first weekly claim but won't receive payment for it - think of it as serving a one-week unpaid period before benefits kick in. You still need to do all the requirements (job searches, filing on time, etc.) during that week, you just don't get paid for it. The good news is once you serve that waiting week, your payments should come regularly for subsequent weeks as long as you stay eligible. It's definitely frustrating when you're already dealing with job loss stress, but at least knowing what to expect helps with planning your finances around that delay.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed my initial claim last week and was so confused when I kept seeing "waiting week" mentioned in all the paperwork. Thank you everyone for explaining this so clearly - it's really frustrating that Washington ESD doesn't just spell this out in plain English from the start. At least now I know to budget for that extra week delay and won't panic when my first weekly claim doesn't result in a payment. This thread has been more helpful than anything I found on the official ESD website!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who explained this so clearly! I was getting really stressed about the waiting week because I thought it meant I had to literally wait a week before I could even start filing claims or something. Now I understand it's just that first week where you file everything normally but don't get paid. It's still annoying when you're already tight on money, but at least I can plan for it now. The comparison to an insurance deductible really helped it click for me. I'm going to make sure I have my direct deposit set up and start tracking my job searches right away so everything goes smoothly after that first week.

I just want to add that I found it helpful to think of the waiting week as similar to when you start a new job and have to wait for your first paycheck cycle - you're doing all the work but there's a built-in delay before you see any money. What really caught me off guard was that you still have to meet ALL the requirements during that waiting week (job searches, being available for work, etc.) even though you're not getting paid for it. Make sure you treat that first weekly claim just as seriously as all the others that follow, because if you mess up any requirements during the waiting week, it can delay your benefits even further once you're supposed to start receiving payments.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - just filed my claim and was completely baffled by the waiting week concept. From reading everyone's explanations, it sounds like the key things to remember are: 1) You still file your weekly claim during the waiting week but don't get paid for it, 2) You still have to do all your job search requirements and meet all eligibility criteria, and 3) It's basically like a one-week penalty that everyone has to serve before benefits kick in. I really appreciate how this community breaks down these confusing ESD processes in plain language - the official website makes everything sound so much more complicated than it needs to be!

This has been such a helpful thread! I'm a newcomer to the unemployment system and was completely lost about the waiting week requirement. Reading through everyone's explanations, I finally understand that it's essentially a one-week unpaid period where you do everything normal (file weekly claims, job searches, etc.) but don't receive payment. It's frustrating that Washington ESD doesn't explain this clearly upfront - I spent way too much time on their confusing website trying to figure out what this meant. The analogy comparing it to an insurance deductible or waiting for your first paycheck at a new job really helps put it in perspective. Thanks to everyone who took the time to break this down in plain English!