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did u check if theres legal aid that can help?? sometimes theres free lawyers for unemployment stuff but u gotta apply quick!!!
Great suggestion. The Unemployment Law Project (unemploymentlawproject.org) offers free legal assistance for unemployment cases in Washington state. They might be able to help you prepare for the rescheduled hearing even if you can't get an attorney to attend with you. Their hotline is 206-441-9178 or toll-free 888-441-9178.
When you get your continuance (and I'm confident you will), the first thing you should do is request all records ESD has about your case through a records request. This will show you exactly what they're basing their overpayment determination on. For SharedWork specifically, make sure you get copies of all the employer certifications and your weekly claim records. The most common issue I've seen is that ESD's system doesn't properly record the reduced hours under SharedWork and then incorrectly flags it as an overpayment. Having those records will be crucial for your case.
THIS!! The exact same thing happened to me! ESD's system couldn't handle the SharedWork hour reporting correctly and kept saying I was overpaid. When I finally got all the records, it was obvious their system had a glitch. The employer reported my reduced hours correctly but ESD's system recorded them wrong. Definitely get those records!
Another thing to check: did you have any vacation or severance pay when you were laid off? Sometimes people don't realize that certain types of separation pay can affect your claim filing date. If you received severance that extended into January, you might have a case for adjusting your effective date of claim. Worth asking about if you speak with an ESD representative.
I did get a small severance - about 2 weeks of pay. Would that help my case at all?
It might! If your severance period crossed into a new quarter, you could potentially argue that your claim shouldn't be effective until after your severance period ended. This is something an ESD claims specialist would need to evaluate, but it's definitely worth mentioning when you speak with them.
anyone else think its crazy that we have to become unemployment system experts just to not get screwed over?? like why isnt there a calculator on the esd website that would tell you "hey maybe wait 3 weeks to file and you'll get $200 more per week" 🙄
RIGHT?! That's exactly what I was thinking. They should at least warn you if waiting a short time would significantly change your benefit amount.
i think the job search requirements changed too??? isnt it 4 now not 3?? someone told me it changed
Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I talked to my supervisor and she's emailing me a letter today confirming the February 10 return date. I'm going to submit the extension request through eServices tomorrow and also make sure my employer reports the new date to ESD directly. If I don't hear back before January 11, I'll start doing the 3 job search activities just to be safe. Really appreciate all the guidance!
Smart move! And don't forget to keep certifying your weekly claims without interruption, even during that transition period from your original standby end date to when the extension gets approved. Missing a weekly certification can cause bigger problems than temporarily having to do job searches.
WHY DOES ESD MAKE EVERYTHING SO COMPLICATED?!!!! I had this EXACT same issue and had to call 67 TIMES before someone would help me! Their system is DESIGNED to make people give up on getting their benefits! The fact that it just silently fails without telling you there's missing information is criminal negligence!!
Right?? Same thing happened to my cousin. She almost got evicted waiting for money that was "PAID" but never arrived. ESD is the worst.
I had a similar issue but mine was because I had the wrong account number not routing number. They ended up sending paper checks instead for like a month before I figured it out. Maybe check your mail?
Maxwell St. Laurent
Has anyone else noticed that the ESD website literally contradicts itself in different sections about this stuff????? I swear the FAQ says one thing and then the handbook says something else and then when you finally talk to someone they tell you a third thing????
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Chris Elmeda
•THIS!!! I've been saying this for years! It's like they deliberately make it confusing so they can deny claims and save money. Classic government incompetence!
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Cedric Chung
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to report my severance payment when I file my weekly claim. It sounds like I might not receive benefits for a few weeks while they allocate the severance, but I'll keep filing my weekly claims so everything stays active. I'll also try the Claimyr service to get confirmation directly from ESD about how they'll handle this specific situation. Really appreciate all the advice!
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Talia Klein
•Good decision! Just remember to keep all documentation related to your severance - the letter/agreement, paystub showing the payment, etc. If they have questions later, having that documentation readily available will make the process much smoother.
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