One thing to keep in mind is that even if you qualify, the benefit amount might not cover all your expenses. Make sure you're also looking into other assistance programs if needed.

I'm so sorry you're going through this difficult situation with your mom. As others have mentioned, Washington does recognize caregiving for immediate family members as "good cause" for voluntary separation in certain circumstances. The key factors they'll look at are: 1) medical documentation proving your mom's serious health condition, 2) proof that you were the primary/only available caregiver, and 3) that you had covered employment (meaning your previous retail job paid into the unemployment system). Since you worked retail for several months before becoming a caregiver, that should help establish your base period wages. I'd definitely recommend filing your claim soon - you can always provide additional documentation during the review process, but you can't get benefits for weeks before you file. The process can take several weeks for adjudication, especially for caregiver cases, but don't let that discourage you from applying.

To answer your follow-up question - this is likely just a one-time thing for your missed week. Once you're back in the regular weekly claim cycle online, you should be able to enter your job search activities directly in eServices when you file your weekly claim. The paper form is typically only used for exceptional circumstances like the one you experienced. You should see in your eServices account that you need to enter job search details when you file your regular weekly claims online. If you're on standby or have a different job search requirement, that would be reflected there too. Make sure you keep copies of all your job search documentation regardless of how you submit it. ESD can request verification up to a year later during random audits.

I just went through this exact same situation last month! The key thing to understand is that when ESD sends you a paper weekly claim form, it creates a separate workflow outside of their normal eServices system. That's why the upload function shows "no documents required" - the system doesn't recognize that you have paperwork to submit. Here's what worked for me: 1. Fax the completed job search log to 800-301-1796 (main ESD fax line) 2. Include a cover sheet with your claim ID, full name, and last 4 of SSN 3. Write "Paper Weekly Claim - Job Search Log for week ending [date]" at the top 4. Take photos of everything before faxing and keep your confirmation receipt The good news is this should be a one-time thing. Once you're back to filing regular weekly claims online, you'll enter job search activities directly in eServices. I was worried about the same documentation issues, but faxing with proper identification worked fine and I got my benefits processed without problems. Don't stress too much - as long as you completed the actual job search activities, submitting the log is just a formality to match their paperwork requirements.

Just wanted to add one more resource that might help - if your employer uses a payroll service like ADP, Paychex, or QuickBooks Payroll, sometimes the EIN is listed on their employee portal or in your digital pay stubs. I found mine this way when I couldn't locate my physical W-2. Many people forget about checking their online payroll accounts but they often have all the tax information you need for unemployment claims.

Another quick tip that worked for me - if you have direct deposit set up with your employer, check your bank statements from when you started the job. Sometimes banks include the employer's EIN or tax ID in the initial direct deposit setup paperwork or in the transaction details when they verify the employer. I found this out by accident when I was looking through old bank documents for something else. It's not guaranteed to be there, but worth checking if you have access to your banking records from when you first got hired.

I'm going through a very similar situation right now and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I was just approved for PFML for bonding leave with my newborn, and my company's benefits coordinator told me I could "definitely use both PFML and my parental leave benefits together." But after reading through all these experiences, especially Ethan's $2,300 overpayment nightmare and Carmen's detailed explanation about the hour-by-hour rules, I'm realizing I need to be much more careful about this. The distinction between using programs "together" versus using them for the same HOURS is huge - I don't think my benefits coordinator understands this nuance either. I'm definitely going to call ESD before I submit my first weekly claim to get specific guidance on how to properly report any employer payments. Based on everyone's advice here, my plan is: 1) Try calling at 8:15 AM on Tuesday or use Claimyr to get through faster, 2) Get written documentation from my employer about their parental leave policy and how they plan to coordinate with PFML, 3) Be extremely detailed on weekly certifications about any overlapping hours/payments, and 4) Screenshot everything for my records. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences - you've probably saved me and many others from some serious financial stress! It's clear that being proactive upfront is way better than dealing with overpayment recovery later. I'll update this thread after I talk to ESD in case it helps others in similar situations.

I'm in a similar situation and this entire thread has been incredibly helpful! I was just approved for PFML to care for my grandmother after her hip surgery, and my employer told me I could use my sick leave "alongside" PFML. But after reading about Ethan's $2,300 overpayment and all the detailed explanations about hour-by-hour reporting, I'm definitely going to be much more cautious. The key insight I'm taking from everyone's experiences is that transparency upfront is absolutely critical. I'm planning to call ESD this week (trying the 8:15 AM Tuesday strategy) to get specific guidance before I submit any weekly claims. I'm also going to follow the advice about documenting everything in writing from my HR department and taking screenshots of all my weekly certifications. One question for those who've successfully navigated this - when you reported employer sick leave payments on your weekly PFML certification, did you report the gross amount or the net amount after taxes? I want to make sure I'm providing the right information to ESD's system for accurate benefit calculations. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences here - you've probably saved me from a major financial headache down the road!

I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences with this! As someone who's been on unemployment for a few months now, I was also considering doing some gig work but was worried about the reporting requirements. It's clear from all the responses that honesty is the best policy with Washington ESD. I'm going to start doing some Instacart deliveries and make sure to keep detailed records of all my earnings. Better to lose a small portion of my benefits than risk getting in trouble for not reporting. Thanks for all the helpful advice - this community has been invaluable during this tough time!

I just wanted to add my experience as someone who's been doing multiple gig apps while on Washington ESD benefits for the past 4 months. I do DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, and I report ALL earnings from each platform every week. What I've learned is that you can actually do quite well with the partial benefit system - even after Washington ESD reduces my benefits by 75% of my gig earnings over $5, I'm still bringing in more total money than just unemployment alone. The key is being strategic about how much you work each week to maximize your total income (benefits + gig work). I keep a detailed log in Google Sheets with separate columns for each app, and I report the combined total as self-employment income on my weekly claim. Never had any issues with Washington ESD as long as everything is reported accurately and on time. For anyone hesitant about starting gig work while on unemployment - just do it, but do it right!