Adjudication in Progress - 3 weeks now

[u/silveriteknight]

I recently had to quit my job as my partners company required her to return to office. I filed on Jan 28, 2 days after my last day at work and after having gotten all moved in etc. After initially applying I received a request for more information. One was to verify my identity to which I provided several of the required documents. The other was for more details about the separation, to which I provided the emails my partner received from her company regarding her need to return to office. Week 1 I wait the 48hr wait time expected to pay out. My weekly claim remains pending. That Friday I send a message asking whats going on, if they need more info etc, no response which looks to be expected. By Monday my claim is pending "further research" and under the pending issues tab it now said there is an adjudication in progress as off Feb 11. I've continued to file my weekly claims, now up to my third which are all pending. I'm not sure if I just need to wait as I see they've had long wait times, or if I need to contact a state rep etc. I have taken a look through the subreddit and there is a lot to sift through here. I did fine the district finder map, but I don't know which or if all of these reps should be contacted, whether it should be through the contact forms on this site or some other or if there is specific staff that I need to contact that would handle these issues. On the online activity tab there is nothing that needs my attention and all the aforementioned identify/separation issues say processed with confirmation numbers and everything. I'd like to take care of this as quick as possible so I could just focus on finding a job and not worry about how I'm supposed to pay rent while I look.

[u/SoThenIThought_]

We really really need to address your job separation before you do an escalation.

had to quit my job as my partners company required her to return to office. I

So can you please give me more details about this? You had to quit because your partner had to return to the office?

[u/silveriteknight → u/SoThenIThought_]

Yes she got relocated. I had been looking beforehand but haven't had any luck as of yet. So i did have to resign from my last job in order to make the move. Trying to avoid personal details per the rules but we moved from one part of Washington to another, it would have been too far to commute to my last job. I was under the impression relocation of a spouse/partner is eligible correct? Perhaps I should have said relocation rather than just return to office, we weren't living in the city her company is headquartered.

[u/SoThenIThought_ → u/silveriteknight]

got relocated. I

Oh okay here it is. So this is a job separation of a relocation of spouse. All right.. let me go ahead and copy and paste all the guidance here:

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Got it, so under the following laws is how the job separation will be adjudicated

The recommendation last time and every time for a job separation under this is

• 1. Documentation to show that they are a registered domestic partner or otherwise a spouse. Like a marriage license. Simply because this is specifically listed in the law

• 2. A brief statement describing that they (husband) stayed In his job for as long as possible prior to the relocation, and how and why Simply because this is what is specifically required in the law. I can guide you on what to make if you want - and what we make can also be confirmed in a free 15 minute consultation with the law firm associated with our community

• 3. A document showing that you were required to relocate Sounds like you already uploaded this

  -------Next step: check for any other eligibility issues-----

1. Login to eServices, do the multifactor authentication
2. Click on your active claim
3. Click on the link that says upload a document
4. What is listed there is the title of the eligibility issue, in this example the open issue is an overpayment waiver. That is unlikely to be your issue, it's just an example of an issue and how it's listed on this screen. Share the eligibility issue with the moderator to help make a plan

• You tell me what is listed here and I will tell you how to solve it

If it is only your job separation then we need to complete these tasks and get this created, corrected, confirmed, and uploaded as an attachment to a message in eServices to ESD, If there are any other eligibility issues we must deal with them before we take the next step

After we have done all these tasks then we're going to start an escalation which is going to force ESD to look at all this information and make a decision, generally this results in a decision within two to five business days.

• ADDED 12/16/2022 Adjudication/Pending? Resolved by an Escalation, Examples and Explanations from the Roadmap

Friendly reminder that the soonest that ESD can make a decision on your claim is the 10th business day following when the claim was filed

[u/silveriteknight → u/SoThenIThought_]

OK I can certainly upload a statement regarding the fact that I worked right up to the move and was looking for work at that time. We aren't married however, so regarding that would other documents that show we're together work? Apartment leases, bills, joint lines of credit? Or would I just have to move forward with what I have?

[u/SoThenIThought_ → u/silveriteknight]

Apartment leases, bills, joint lines of credit?

I would recommend any or all of these

[u/silveriteknight → u/SoThenIThought_]

Fantastic, I got most of what I could find uploaded. As far as my personal statement is there anything specific I need to say, or specific way I need to say it? After I upload that where do I go from here?

[u/SoThenIThought_ → u/silveriteknight]

Sorry, it looks like I put this under the wrong reply of yours, please see this reply And I await this, probably single paragraph of your statement. Sometimes or often, these don't need to be confirmed by the law firm depending on the time between when you left work and when you actually had to relocate, and how severe the requirements were that you stay either in the previous location, with or without a job, and what required you to do what in person at what time. I don't have a template for this because it is highly subjective

Remember that the burden is simply what is required of a reasonable person, as per the state law, see the bold section

https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=192-150-110

(2) You may show good cause to quit work if you relocate for your spouse or domestic partner's employment that was due to a mandatory military transfer if:

(a) Your spouse or domestic partner's new duty station is outside your existing labor market; and

(b) You continued to work for your previous employer for as long as was reasonable prior to the move.

So you simply have to provide reasons that are ordinary and necessary to overcome this burden

I did some digging and found a copy of a statement that another user made that required minor corrections,Please see this reply. After minor corrections and a consultation, and continuing to follow the guidance, This person was approved

[u/silveriteknight → u/SoThenIThought_]

ok well using those stipulations and that other post as a guide I had time to write up a statement. As follows:

To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to address the matter of my unemployment claim ([Claim Number]) and the associated adjudication case ([Case Number]). The primary issue at hand pertains to my separation from my previous employment, which was necessitated by my partner’s job relocation.
To provide context, my partner, [Partner's Name], commenced her role as a remote [Job Title] for [Employer] in September 2021. Initially, the possibility of returning to the office post-COVID was uncertain, with no clear timeframe established. [Partner's Name] first received notification regarding the potential need for relocation on May 22, 2023, from a third-party relocation specialist. However, specific details regarding the timeline for her to be in-office remained vague. The most definitive information we received suggested a possible requirement for her to relocate by late May 2024.
Given the substantial cost increase associated with moving from [Old City] to [New City], we made a strategic decision to maximize our savings and explore remote work opportunities. This approach was upended in September 2023 when [Partner's Name] was informed by [Employer] of the initiation of relocation benefit discussions. Although [Partner's Name] signed for these benefits on September 29, 2023, a firm date for her in-office presence was still not provided.
The situation changed abruptly on October 31, 2023, when [Partner's Name]'s manager requested her in-office presence by January 30, 2024 – months earlier than anticipated. This accelerated our relocation plans and my pursuit of alternative employment options. I intensified my search for remote positions, and with a clear moving date, I also started applying for in-person roles.
My role at [Old Employer] in [Old City], as a [Job Title], could not accommodate remote work, and the site was nearly 200 miles from our new location. We secured a new apartment with a move-in date of January 27, 2024, after a visit in early January. Throughout this period, I maintained my employment, resigning three weeks before our move and working until January 26, 2024, the day before our relocation.
Attached to this claim are all pertinent communications regarding [Partner's Name]'s relocation, along with various bills, leases, and other documents confirming our relationship and move. Additionally, I have diligently maintained my weekly UI Claims, including the necessary job search requirements, which I have also tracked on my personal spreadsheet.
Please inform me if there is any further information you require for the processing of my claim.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]

​

Once I've uploaded this I should have as many of the recommended documents as I have attached to my claim. What are the next steps in getting this taken care of, or do I just need to wait?

[u/SoThenIThought_ → u/silveriteknight]

Once you have uploaded this then we check for other outsitting eligibility issues and address them individually and then you can start an escalation which will force them to process all outstanding eligibility issues and all information submitted for each eligibility issue.

So let's check for other eligibility issues:

follow this guidance and tell me what the open eligibility issues are and I will tell you how to solve them:

1. Login to eServices, do the multifactor authentication
2. Click on your active claim
3. Click on the link that says upload a document
4. What is listed there is the title of the eligibility issue, in this example the open issue is an overpayment waiver. That is unlikely to be your issue, it's just an example of an issue and how it's listed on this screen

[u/silveriteknight → u/SoThenIThought_]

So, the only thing that was there was the separation issue, which we've addressed. After submitting all the materials I received my determination that I was ineligible because my partner and I aren't married or a legally registered domestic partnership. Is there even any recourse in this case or point in appealing?

[u/SoThenIThought_ → u/silveriteknight]

Sorry for delay. Got utterly swamped today with Reddit stuff

So, to accomplish this task

• 2. A brief statement describing that they (husband) stayed In his job for as long as possible prior to the relocation, and how and why Simply because this is what is specifically required in the law. I can guide you on what to make if you want - and what we make can also be confirmed in a free 15 minute consultation with the law firm associated with our community

... Part of this depends on the amount of time in between when you left work and when you had to relocate, for example

A statement that says

I had to quit work to relocate for my spouse. We only had to move one couch so I quit 9 months in advance so I could move it 1 cm per day. probably not going to be eligible

I continued working until we had saved up enough money and then I quit and just lived off savings until we actually had to move two months later probably not eligible

In order to successfully relocate, we needed to find new housing, a new job for me, and new childcare, and a new school. These are major tasks. I started with a new school for the dependent. The enrollment process alone after the initial email was expected to take 3 weeks but, I could accomplish most of these tasks while I worked so I continued working. New childcare after the initial email contact / phone contact indicated that I would need a minimum of 2 weeks in advance to enroll the dependent in childcare prior to moving, so I continued working. I did not have a job lined up after the move, but based on our current financial situation, I didn't necessarily need to instantly, so I continued working. Based on a travel time of two days, packing and moving for 2 days, and unpacking and moving for 2 days, I left work 7 days in advance of what I expected to be a 6-day process. We ended up completing this process in nine days so I had left work exactly at the correct time obviously there would be more specific robust details in each of these segments but otherwise, this would be eligible