Also worth mentioning - even if your employer contests your claim based on their separation notice, you can appeal any negative decisions. Don't give up if you get denied initially.

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - when you file your claim online, there's a section where you can explain your side of the story about why your employment ended. Don't skip this part! Even though your employer will send their separation notice, Washington ESD wants to hear from you too. Be honest and detailed about the circumstances, especially if there were any issues like attendance problems due to legitimate reasons (childcare, medical issues, etc.). This information gets reviewed alongside whatever your employer reports.

I had a similar issue last year with my claim. Spent weeks trying to reach someone. What worked for me was contacting my state representative's office. They have liaisons who work directly with ESD. I emailed my representative explaining my situation, and their office contacted ESD on my behalf. Got a call from ESD within 48 hours after that. Maybe worth a try?

After trying all the suggestions here, did you ever get through? I'm curious which method ended up working for you.

This is good info for everyone to know - ESD can request identity verification at ANY point during your claim year, not just at the beginning. Pro tip: keep digital copies of your ID documents in a secure location so you can quickly upload them if asked. This helps avoid payment delays. Also, make sure your phone number is up-to-date in your ESD account because sometimes they'll text verification codes if they need additional verification.

Just wanted to add that if anyone gets flagged for ID verification, don't panic if your documents get rejected the first time. Sometimes the photos aren't clear enough or there's glare on your ID. I had to resubmit my driver's license twice because the first photo was too blurry. Make sure you're in good lighting and the entire document is visible in the frame. Also, if you have an out-of-state ID but live in Washington now, that's totally fine - they just want to verify you're a real person, not necessarily that you're a Washington resident.

Just wanted to add that if anyone needs help understanding how to report part-time work or has other questions about their claim, that Claimyr service people mentioned earlier really does work. I used it last month when I had issues with my job search log and got through to an agent in about 10 minutes instead of waiting hours on hold.

I work as a benefits specialist and can confirm that Washington ESD's wage matching system is very thorough. They receive quarterly wage reports from all employers registered in the state, plus they get data from other sources like the IRS for 1099 income. The timeline for detection really depends on reporting cycles - some employers file early in the quarter, others wait until the deadline. But once the data is in the system, the matching happens pretty quickly. I've seen cases where people got caught within 6-8 weeks, and others where it took 6+ months. The key thing is that modern computer systems make it almost impossible to hide income permanently. Even if an employer initially fails to report wages, audits and corrections eventually catch everything.

Update: I talked to my HR contact and confirmed I'm classified as a W-2 employee, so I should be all set to file when my contract ends. Thanks everyone for the advice and reassurance! This community is awesome.

Just wanted to add that if you're filing for the first time as a contract worker, don't be surprised if they ask for additional verification of your employment status. I had to submit my contract agreement and a few recent paystubs to prove I was a legitimate W-2 employee. The extra step delayed my approval by about a week, but once they verified everything, my benefits started without any issues. Keep digital copies of all your contract paperwork handy when you file!