As a new bus driver, I really appreciate all the detailed info here! One thing I'm curious about - does it matter if we're part-time vs full-time drivers? I only drive morning and afternoon routes (about 6 hours total per day) and wondering if that affects eligibility or benefit amounts.

Part-time vs full-time status doesn't affect eligibility - what matters is meeting the minimum earnings requirements during your base year. Your benefit amount will be calculated based on your total wages, so part-time drivers typically get lower weekly benefits than full-time drivers, but you can still qualify. The 6 hours daily you're working should be plenty to meet the requirements as long as you've been working consistently during the school year.

Bottom line: you need wages in at least 2 quarters during your base period, meet the minimum wage thresholds, and be unemployed through no fault of your own. Everything else is just details.

Just wanted to add that the wage requirements can vary year to year, so make sure you're looking at the current year's thresholds. I made the mistake of using outdated information from an old forum post and thought I didn't qualify when I actually did. The Washington ESD website should have the most up-to-date minimum wage amounts for each year. Also, don't forget that some types of income like severance pay or vacation payout might affect your benefits timing even if you qualify based on quarters worked.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since I just completed this process successfully! I worked as a "freelance" marketing specialist for a tech company for 13 months, but they required me to maintain set hours (9am-6pm), attend daily team standups via Zoom, use their CRM and project management tools, and submit weekly progress reports. When my contract ended last month, I was hesitant to file because of the 1099s, but after seeing similar stories here I decided to apply anyway. Washington ESD took about 7 weeks to review my case and ultimately determined I was misclassified - they said the behavioral control my client had over my work schedule and methods clearly indicated an employment relationship. I got approved for benefits plus backpay for the review period! The key was documenting everything - I submitted emails about required meeting attendance, screenshots of their internal tools I had to use, and my contract showing the set schedule requirements. Don't let those 1099s discourage you from filing if your work situation involved significant client control over how, when, and where you performed your duties. Washington ESD really looks beyond the paperwork to evaluate the actual working relationship!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent success story! I was working as a "freelance" software tester for a fintech company for 10 months, but they controlled almost everything - required me to work 9am-5pm in their office, use their testing environments and bug tracking systems, attend daily standup meetings and sprint reviews, and even had performance reviews with their QA manager. Despite getting 1099s the whole time, I filed for unemployment when my contract ended last month after reading stories like these. Washington ESD took about 6 weeks to investigate and ruled I was misclassified as a contractor! The evidence that clinched it was showing their control over my schedule (email requiring office attendance), mandatory participation in their agile processes, and use of company-specific tools and environments. I received full benefits plus backpay for the review period. If your "contracting" situation involved this level of behavioral and operational control, definitely file - Washington ESD really does look at the substance of the working relationship, not just the 1099 paperwork. The financial support during job searching has been a lifesaver!

One more thing to add - if you do get fired and file for unemployment, make sure to keep records of everything. Save copies of your termination letter, any HR communications, and document the circumstances around your firing. If your employer contests your claim, you'll want to have all that documentation ready to support your case. Also, don't be discouraged if the initial process seems overwhelming - the Washington ESD website has gotten better over the years, and there are people here who've been through it successfully. You've got this!

I went through a similar situation about 6 months ago and want to echo what others have said - you absolutely can get unemployment benefits if you're fired, and it sounds like your situation (being late a couple times) definitely wouldn't qualify as misconduct under Washington state rules. The key things that helped me: 1) File immediately after termination - don't wait even a day, 2) Be completely honest about the circumstances but don't overthink it or volunteer unnecessary details, 3) Keep your employer's termination documentation handy in case WA ESD needs it later. My claim was approved within about a week and I started getting payments shortly after. The whole process was much less scary than I expected. One practical tip - when you do your weekly claim certifications, set a reminder on your phone because missing even one week can cause delays. Hang in there, this is a rough situation but the safety net is there for exactly these circumstances!

I just wanted to add another perspective from someone who travels frequently for family reasons while on unemployment. The advice here about continuing to file and marking unavailable days is spot-on, but I'd also suggest calling ESD before your trip if possible to document your plans. I know their phone lines are terrible, but when I called before my last out-of-state trip, the representative made a note in my file about my planned travel dates. This actually helped later when they had questions during a routine review - they could see I'd been proactive about reporting my unavailability. Also, for the job search requirements, remember that if you're marked unavailable for the entire benefit week, you don't need to complete job search activities for that week since you won't be receiving benefits anyway. But if you're only unavailable for part of the week (like your travel days), you still need to meet the job search requirements for the days you were available. Arizona is beautiful this time of year - enjoy your visit with your sister!

I'm in a similar situation planning a trip to visit family next month! This thread has been incredibly helpful. Just wanted to add that I called the ESD customer service line yesterday (took 2 hours of redialing) and the representative confirmed everything folks have said here - continue filing weekly claims but mark yourself unavailable for the specific dates you're traveling. She also mentioned that if you're going to be gone for more than 2 consecutive weeks, they recommend calling ahead to put a note in your file, but for shorter trips like yours (9 days), just being accurate on your weekly claims is sufficient. One more tip she gave me: if your trip spans partial weeks (like leaving on a Wednesday and returning the following Thursday), be extra careful to only mark yourself unavailable for the actual travel days, not the full weeks. You can still claim benefits for the days before you leave and after you return within those weeks. Hope your Arizona trip goes smoothly!