Approved & Tips!
I was approved for my benefits this morning after 6 weeks (!) and wanted to share some tips in case they are useful to someone here. Losing a job is so destabilizing and the system is full of barriers and delays. There are resources and people available to help. Keep going!
Context: I was unexpectedly fired at the end of March with no warnings, my employer told me I violated a policy (I didn't).
What I did next:
- Called the Unemployment Law Project for support, I left a message and they promptly called me back with solid advice on how to answer my 'Separation Issue' questionnaire: https://unemploymentlawproject.org/ If I needed to go through the appeals hearing, I would have sought out their representation.
- Set up a free 15 minute consult call with WEBA Law, spoke with Rory who was incredibly knowledgable about the entire process and explained that the burden of proof is the employer's responsibility and to keep my responses as simple and clear as possible in the questionnaire: https://www.weba.law/
- Included this response in my questionnaire:
'The reason is not listed or I don't know why'
'My termination was communicated to me verbally. I was not given a specific policy, rule, or expectation that I failed to meet. I accessed files I have always had authorized access to and was never informed that I was restricted from accessing them.'
- After my claim was stuck in Adjudication with no movement, I called the Governor's Office at the 6 week mark (yesterday): (360) 902-4111, select the first option to connect about your unemployment.
The staff person I spoke with immediately asked for my Claim ID, submission/adjudication date information, and e-mail and let me know they submitted a request for my claim to be escalated. Later that day, I received a secure message from ESD letting me know my claim had been assigned to a staff person to review. The staff person in the Governor's Office mentioned that ESD usually sends messages like this when claims are successfully escalated.
I also e-mailed my district Senator through this website, ccing the state reps: https://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder
Here is a copy of my e-mail, someone responded to me the same day offering to reach out to ESD about my case:
Unemployment Benefits- Support Request
Hello Senator [Last Name],
I am a constituent in [Location], and I am writing to ask for assistance with my Washington State unemployment claim that has been pending with no movement for 6 weeks.
I have continued filing weekly claims as required, but my claim has been stuck in the adjudication process since mid-April (full details below).
If your office is able to submit a legislative inquiry or request a review from ESD, I would greatly appreciate the assistance.
[Personal details and financial hardship]
Thank you for your time and help. I appreciate the work you do to support our communities.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Location]
Claim ID:
Claim Opened On:
Case Number for Pending Issue:
Status:
Date of status change:
- Benefits approved today! It looks like my employer reported to ESD that I was 'Fired for violation of a reasonable company policy.'
I was prepared to submit additional documentation, go through a call with an adjudicator, or worst case be denied and file an appeal / request a hearing. ESD found that my actions were not misconduct, making me eligible to receive benefits.
It should not take this long and I know many people have been waiting even longer for a resolution. I recommend calling the Governor's Office and e-mailing your state reps to get some movement on your claim if it has been stuck in adjudication for 6 weeks or more.