For anyone reading this later - the key takeaway is that Washington ESD will investigate contractor vs employee classification. Don't self-eliminate if you think you might have been misclassified. Apply and let them make the determination.

I've been following this thread as someone who went through a similar situation about 2 years ago. One thing I'd add is to make sure you document not just the control aspects, but also your financial relationship with the company. Did they provide all your work? Were you economically dependent on them as your sole source of income? Washington ESD also considers economic realities when determining classification. In my case, even though I had some flexibility in how I did the work, the fact that they were my only client and I was financially dependent on them helped my case. Also, don't be discouraged if the initial determination goes against you - you have appeal rights and the appeals process sometimes takes a closer look at the evidence.

UPDATE: My claim just switched from pending to active today (day 5). Didn't receive any notification - just happened to check this morning. Thanks everyone for the advice and reassurance! For anyone else going through this, seems like waiting is the best approach unless it goes beyond a week.

Great to see this resolved! Just wanted to add for future readers - I've noticed that ESD seems to process these benefit year transitions in batches, which is probably why some people see changes after 3 days while others wait 7-10 days. It's not necessarily that there's a problem with the longer waits, just depends on when your claim gets picked up in their processing queue. Also worth noting that if you DO end up needing to call, early morning (right at 8am) or late afternoon (after 4pm) tend to have shorter wait times in my experience.

did ur employer say theyre gonna fight ur claim?? mine did and thats y it took so long, they have to interview both sides when theres a disagreement

I'm an employment attorney and can offer some general guidance (though this isn't legal advice for your specific situation). In Washington, for misconduct to disqualify you from benefits, it generally needs to be connected to your work. The burden is on the employer to prove misconduct. Since you mentioned a bar fight that resulted in a misdemeanor, the adjudicator will evaluate: 1. Whether your employer had a specific policy about off-duty conduct 2. Whether your position was one of special trust or public visibility 3. Whether the incident created a direct impact on your employer's business You are smart to keep filing weekly claims. If approved, you'll receive backpay for all weeks claimed. Continue your job search activities and document them thoroughly - you need at least 3 job search activities per week. Given the complexity of your case, you might consider contacting the Unemployment Law Project (unemploymentlawproject.org) for free legal assistance if you receive a denial.

never did find out the exact reason. just got an email one day saying my payment had been processed and it was back to normal

I'm dealing with something similar right now - my claim has been showing pending $0 for about 3 days after I reported some freelance work I did. It's really stressful when you're counting on that money! From reading through all these responses, it sounds like it's pretty common and usually resolves within a week or two. I'm going to wait a few more days and if it doesn't clear up, I might try that Claimyr service people are mentioning since calling directly seems like a nightmare. Hang in there - sounds like most people eventually get their back pay once it's sorted out.

Here's the official answer from ESD policy: You can't receive PFL and UI benefits for the same week, but you can apply for UI before your PFL ends if your last day of work has already occurred. Your UI claim effective date will be the Sunday of the week after your PFL benefits end. Make sure you answer "no" to "Were you physically able and available for work each day?" on your weekly UI claim for any days you were still on PFL. This prevents overlapping benefits while still getting your claim started early.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation, but it sounds like you're being proactive about the transition. Based on what others have shared, it looks like you can start the UI application process even while still on PFL, as long as your last day of work has already occurred (which it has since your position was eliminated). The key is making sure you don't claim benefits for overlapping weeks. I'd also recommend keeping detailed records of when your PFL ends and when you become available for work, since ESD will need those exact dates. The fact that your employer eliminated your position while you were on protected leave should work in your favor for eligibility. Good luck with everything!