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I'm so sorry you're dealing with this situation - having a "temporary" layoff turn permanent after months of waiting is incredibly frustrating, and unfortunately it's becoming way too common with companies trying to avoid proper notice requirements. You've gotten fantastic advice here already about reporting your severance. I'll just add that it's really important to get clarification from HR about exactly how they're structuring your severance payment. Ask them specifically if it's meant to cover a certain number of weeks or if it's just a lump sum goodbye payment. Getting this in writing will save you headaches when reporting to ESD. One practical tip for when you transition off standby: start bookmarking job sites and company career pages now so you'll have plenty of places to search when the weekly job search requirements kick in. Having a list of 10-15 go-to sites makes it much easier to consistently find 3 activities each week. Also consider this - after 11 years at one company, you probably have skills and experience that you haven't had to "sell" in a long time. This might be a good opportunity to really think about what you want to do next and maybe even explore roles or companies you wouldn't have considered before. I know it's scary right now, but you'll get through this. Focus on one step at a time and don't hesitate to ask questions here if you run into any issues with ESD. This community is really helpful!
This is such great advice, especially about getting the severance structure clarified in writing from HR! I hadn't thought about bookmarking job sites ahead of time, but that's really smart - it would definitely make the weekly requirements less stressful. You're absolutely right that after 11 years at one place, I probably need to really think through how to present my skills and experience to new employers. It's been so long since I've had to job search that the whole process feels pretty intimidating. But reading everyone's responses here has made me feel much more prepared and confident about handling both the ESD requirements and eventually finding something new. Thanks for the encouragement and practical tips!
I'm really sorry you're going through this - being told a layoff is "temporary" for months only to discover the company is permanently closing is such a betrayal of trust, and unfortunately it's happening more and more these days. You've received excellent advice here about reporting your severance pay. I just want to emphasize how crucial it is to read your severance agreement very carefully, especially any language about time periods it covers. If there's ANY ambiguity about whether it's allocated over specific weeks, don't hesitate to ask HR for clarification in writing before you sign anything. One thing I learned from my own layoff experience: start updating your resume and LinkedIn profile NOW while you're waiting for the severance paperwork. After being at the same company for 11 years, you'll probably need time to think through how to present all your accumulated skills and achievements. It's much easier to work on this when you're not under pressure to start job searching immediately. Also, when you do switch from standby to regular unemployment, consider setting up a simple tracking system for your job search activities from day one. Even a basic spreadsheet with company names, positions, dates, and application methods will make your weekly claims much smoother and protect you if ESD ever audits your search activities. This situation is definitely overwhelming, but you have 11 years of solid work experience and the job market is actually pretty strong right now. Take it one step at a time and don't be afraid to lean on this community if you have more questions. You've got this!
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This thread has been incredibly helpful! I was in the exact same situation and spent weeks worrying about whether I was missing something important on my tax return. Based on all the expert advice here, I ended up following the consensus and did NOT report my Washington sick leave benefits as income. Like others mentioned, I kept all my ESD payment statements clearly showing they were for "medical leave" (sick leave) and not family leave. My return was accepted without any issues. It's frustrating that ESD doesn't make this clearer upfront, but at least now I know for future reference. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helped put my mind at ease!
This is such a relief to read! I'm in the exact same boat and was getting really anxious about potentially making a mistake on my taxes. It's crazy how confusing this whole situation is - you'd think ESD would have clearer guidance on their website about the tax implications. I'm definitely going to follow the same approach and keep all my documentation showing it was specifically sick leave. Thanks for sharing that your return was accepted without issues - that gives me a lot more confidence!
This whole thread has been a lifesaver! I've been stressing about this for weeks. I received about $3,800 in Washington sick leave benefits last year and was so confused when I didn't get any tax forms from ESD. After reading everyone's experiences and the expert advice from Aaron Lee and others, I feel much more confident about leaving it off my tax return. I'm going to keep all my ESD payment statements that clearly show "medical leave" just like others suggested. It's honestly ridiculous that ESD doesn't provide clearer guidance on this - they should have a simple FAQ that explains the difference between taxable family leave and non-taxable sick leave. But thanks to this community, I finally understand the distinction!
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Final thought - if you do decide to take the freelance work, just factor the benefit reduction into your decision. Sometimes earning $300 but losing $295 in benefits isn't worth the hassle, depending on the work involved.
True, gotta look at the net gain. Thanks everyone for all the insights - this really helped clarify things for me.
Just to add another perspective - I've been doing some gig work while on UI and one thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track potential earnings vs benefit reductions before taking on projects. For example, if a freelance job pays $400 but I'd lose $395 in benefits (since I get $450/week), I'm only netting $5 plus whatever experience/networking value the work provides. Sometimes it's worth it for the connections, sometimes not. Also worth noting that if you're doing contract work, you might want to consider the tax implications too since you'll be responsible for self-employment taxes on that income.
That spreadsheet idea is brilliant! I hadn't thought about tracking it that systematically. And you're absolutely right about the self-employment tax piece - that's another 15.3% I'd need to factor in on top of regular income tax. So really the math gets even more complicated when you consider the full tax burden on freelance income vs the tax-free UI benefits. Definitely something to calculate before saying yes to any gig work.
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I'm so glad you found this helpful information! Just wanted to add one more thing - when your husband does start his leave and applies, make sure he applies for the full amount of time he wants to take right away. You can't extend PFML claims later if you decide you want more time off. The maximum for bonding leave is 12 weeks, and it has to be taken within that first year after birth. Also, if his employer offers any kind of supplemental paid leave that works with PFML, definitely look into that too since PFML only covers a percentage of his wages. Good luck with everything!
This is such great advice about applying for the full amount upfront! I had no idea you couldn't extend it later. That's definitely something we need to think through carefully before he applies. Do you happen to know if the 12 weeks has to be taken consecutively, or can it be broken up? His work might be more flexible if he could take it in chunks, but I want to make sure that's even allowed under PFML rules.
@Freya Collins Great question! PFML bonding leave can actually be taken intermittently, which is really helpful for families. You can break it up into smaller chunks as long as your employer approves the schedule. Some people do a few weeks right after birth, then save some time for later, or even do part-time schedules. Just make sure when your husband applies that he indicates he wants intermittent leave if that s'the plan, and coordinate the specific dates with his HR department. The key is that all 12 weeks have to be used within that first year after birth, but they don t'have to be consecutive at all!
This thread has been so helpful! I'm actually in a similar situation - had my baby in October 2023 and my partner is just now considering taking some PFML time. Reading through all these responses, I feel much more confident that we're still within the window. The confusion about the 30-day rule vs the 12-month rule seems really common. One thing I wanted to add for anyone else reading this - I found the Washington State PFML calculator on the ESD website really useful for figuring out how much the benefit would actually be. It helps you estimate your weekly benefit amount based on your income, which was crucial for us in planning our budget during leave. Just search "PFML benefit calculator" on the ESD site. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this kind of real-world advice is so much more helpful than trying to decode the official government pages!
Laura Horton
My husband got orders for a PCS move from NAS Whidbey to NAS JAX. He is getting ready to leave on deployment and coming back in December sometime for the move. We have 2 children. I work full time. We will lose our daycare provider in November which I will now have to resign from my position. Then we PCS. My question is when can I apply for PMFLA for the deployment and then when can I apply for Unemployment. Or do I just apply for unemployment. There is not much information on what to do. This time around it seems so complicated compared to the other PCS moves. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!!!
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Taylor Chen
This is a complex situation with both deployment and PCS factors! You're dealing with two separate qualifying events, so let me break this down: For the deployment piece - PFML (Paid Family and Medical Leave) has a "family leave" provision that may apply when your spouse deploys, but it's typically for bonding/care situations rather than childcare logistics. You'd need to check if losing your daycare provider due to deployment qualifies, but it's not guaranteed. For the PCS unemployment - You can absolutely apply for unemployment benefits when you quit due to the PCS move. The fact that you're losing daycare in November and then PCSing shortly after actually strengthens your case for quitting in November rather than waiting until the actual move date. Losing essential childcare due to military circumstances is solid documentation for your "good cause" quit. My recommendation: Focus on the unemployment benefits for the PCS move rather than trying to navigate PFML for the deployment. When you file your UI claim after quitting in November, document: - Your husband's PCS orders to NAS JAX - Your marriage certificate - Documentation that your daycare provider is unavailable during his deployment - Evidence that you need to prepare for the December PCS move with two kids This creates a clear timeline showing you had to quit due to interconnected military circumstances. Keep filing weekly claims even if it goes to adjudication, and be detailed about your specific situation when you apply.
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Mei Wong
•This is really helpful advice! I hadn't even considered that losing daycare due to the deployment could actually strengthen my unemployment case for the PCS move. That makes so much sense - it's all interconnected military circumstances. I'm feeling much less overwhelmed about navigating this now. One quick follow-up question: should I mention the deployment situation when I file my unemployment claim, or just focus on the PCS orders and childcare loss? I don't want to confuse things by bringing up too many different military circumstances at once.
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