Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. At least now I know I'm not the only one struggling with this. Going to try that Claimyr service mentioned earlier because I clearly need professional help navigating this mess.

I'm a newcomer to this community and honestly feeling overwhelmed after reading all these experiences. I just got laid off from my retail job last week and was planning to file for unemployment benefits, but now I'm terrified about what I'm getting into. Is there any advice for someone who hasn't filed yet? Should I expect the same months-long delays and phone system nightmares that everyone is describing? I'm already worried about making rent next month and these stories are making me panic that I won't see any benefits for months.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year and won my appeal! Here's what made the difference: I had to get a very specific letter from my psychiatrist that stated 1) my exact diagnosis (major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety), 2) that the workplace conditions were directly worsening my symptoms, and 3) that it was medically necessary for me to leave that specific job to prevent further deterioration of my mental health. The judge at my hearing emphasized that it couldn't just say I had depression - it had to connect my condition to why I couldn't continue THAT job specifically. Also document everything about your supervisor's behavior if you can remember dates/incidents. I kept a journal of the toxic interactions which really helped my case. Don't give up - mental health IS a valid reason to quit if you have the right documentation!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - the mental health stigma in unemployment decisions is real and frustrating. I had a similar experience where my initial documentation wasn't specific enough. What really helped was getting my therapist to write a supplemental letter that explicitly stated: "Due to [specific workplace conditions], continuing employment would have been detrimental to patient's mental health recovery and could have resulted in significant psychological harm." The key phrase that seemed to matter was "detrimental to recovery" - it showed that staying wasn't just uncomfortable, but actually harmful. Also, if you have any text messages or emails from that time period showing your distress, include those too. The appeals process is worth it - don't let that initial denial discourage you. You clearly have legitimate medical reasons, you just need to present them in the very specific language ESD requires.

thats great news!! hope it all works out for you - and i might try that service too since im still fighting with esd about some overpayment nonsense from 2 months ago ugh

Congrats on getting through to ESD! That's awesome that you were able to get clarity on both the partial unemployment AND the training benefits. For anyone else reading this thread - healthcare administration is definitely a smart choice since it's high-demand in WA. I went through a similar situation a few years back when I was in a medical coding program and my retail hours got slashed. The combination of partial UI + training benefits really helped me get through school without going into major debt. Make sure to keep copies of everything you submit to ESD - they sometimes "lose" paperwork and you'll want to have backups ready to resubmit if needed.

Best of luck with your claim! Travel healthcare workers deserve unemployment benefits just like everyone else. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I'm a new travel nurse just starting out and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea that travel nurses could qualify for unemployment benefits between assignments. I was worried about those gap periods when I don't have contracts lined up. Reading about everyone's experiences makes me feel much more prepared for when I eventually need to file. Thanks for sharing all this valuable information - it's exactly what newcomers like me need to know!

Thanks everyone for all this great information! I feel much more confident about applying now. It sounds like partial unemployment is exactly what I need to help with the reduced hours situation.

I'm in a similar situation but at a grocery store - went from 30 hours to about 15 due to "staffing adjustments." Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea partial unemployment was even a thing. One question I haven't seen addressed: if I pick up a few shifts at another part-time job to make ends meet while my main job's hours are reduced, does that affect my eligibility? Or do they just look at the total income from all sources?