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Just to update you - I checked the most current ESD guidelines, and for 2025, family employment exclusions only apply to certain business structures:\n\n1. Sole proprietorships: Employment of spouses, parents, or children under 18 may be excluded\n2. Partnerships: Employment of partners or their spouses, parents, or children under 18 may be excluded\n3. LLCs and Corporations: Family relationships generally don't matter - employees are employees\n\nSo if your brother's construction company is an LLC or corporation, you should be fine. If it's a sole proprietorship or partnership, there could be issues. You can find this in the ESD Employer Handbook on their website.
just to share my experience - my claim was denied because I quit "voluntarily" even though it was for childcare. ESD said I should have "explored all other options" first. The appeal took FOREVER and I still got denied! The system is totally rigged against parents who need to care for sick kids!!!! Ugh so frustrating.
That's unfortunate about your claim. For others reading: when quitting for caregiving, ESD requires documentation that you explored ALL alternatives - like asking for schedule changes, taking leave, finding alternative care, etc. It's not enough to just say you needed to care for your child - you have to prove there were no other options. Document every conversation and alternative you explored.
Update: I tried the Claimyr service mentioned above and actually got through to ESD! The agent said I should formally request accommodation from my employer in writing first (asking for a temporary leave or shift change) and keep their response. She said I should continue working part-time while the first adjudication resolves if possible. If I absolutely need to quit, I should get detailed medical documentation showing why my daughter needs care during my current work hours specifically. She also suggested applying for Standby status with a specific return-to-work date when my daughter's treatment schedule changes. Thanks everyone for your help!
This is excellent news! The agent gave you perfect advice. Having that formal accommodation request (and likely denial) documented will significantly strengthen your case. Make sure to follow through with the medical documentation as well - be specific about the hours care is needed and why alternative care isn't possible. Glad you were able to get through and get solid guidance!
UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know I was able to file my weekly claim online through my eServices account with no problems! The site is working fine even though the phone system is still glitchy. Thanks for all the advice everyone!
Great! Online filing is definitely more reliable. For future reference, if you ever need to speak with an actual ESD agent about a claim issue, try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM or during the last hour before they close (around 3:00-4:00 PM). The wait times are usually shorter during those periods.
this reminds me of when my claim got stuck for 3 weeks last year because of some computer error on their end... had to drive all the way to the worksource office just to get someone to help me because the phone system kept saying my social security number was invalid even though i'd been claiming for months with no problems before that.... anyway hope you got it fixed
So my claim got stuck for almost 2 months last year in February? Like literally nothing was happening for WEEKS? I finally emailed the governor AND my state rep on the same day. No idea which one did the trick but my claim was approved 3 days later! The funny thing is I got responses from both offices like a week AFTER my claim was already fixed lol. But hey it worked! So maybe try both at the same time?
OMG YES! I emailed all three of my district reps on Monday, and one of their assistants called me yesterday. She said she'd reach out to her contact at ESD, and this morning my account updated to approved! Payment should be in my account by Friday. I'm literally crying with relief right now. THANK YOU all for your advice!!!
Ava Thompson
do u still get the same amount of money with training benefits as regular unemployment?? and do they pay for the school too or just the weekly benefits??
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Miguel Alvarez
•Training Benefits provides the same weekly benefit amount as your regular unemployment. However, it does NOT pay for your tuition or school expenses - it only continues your unemployment benefits while you attend training and waives the job search requirements. For tuition assistance, you'd need to explore other options like: - Worker Retraining funds through the community college system - Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants through WorkSource - Pell Grants and financial aid by completing the FAFSA - Various scholarships for career changers Many people combine Training Benefits with these other funding sources to cover both living expenses and tuition. WorkSource can help you navigate all these programs simultaneously.
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Dylan Mitchell
Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I've scheduled an appointment with a WorkSource career counselor for next week to discuss my options. I'm going to research vet tech and animal shelter management programs in my area before the meeting. I had no idea there were so many considerations with Training Benefits, so I'm really glad I asked here first before making any decisions. I'll update once I learn more about which programs are approved and if I qualify!
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