Temporary layoffs and furloughs

If you are temporarily laid off or partially unemployed, you may be able to get benefits without meeting the job search requirements.

You may be eligible for unemployment benefits if your employer temporarily laid you off or reduced your hours. You may qualify for standby or we may consider you partially unemployed. You would not have to meet the job search requirements.

Standby

Being "on standby" means that:

  • You are temporarily unemployed because your employer did not have work for you.
  • You don't have to look for work while you receive unemployment benefits.

Ask yourself one question to decide if you should apply: Do you have a date when you will return to work with a recent or new employer? If so, you could be eligible for standby!

If we approve your request, standby begins on the date we received it. You may also qualify for SharedWork if your employer participates in the program.

If we deny standby, you may still be eligible for benefits but will have to meet the job search requirements.

Eligibility

The Employment Security Department (ESD) — not your employer — approves or denies all requests for standby. ESD sends you a letter to let you know whether you qualify.

ESD approves standby applications if you are in one or more of these situations:

  • You worked for your employer in the last 8 weeks. And that you told us you will return to work within the next 4 weeks.
  • You worked for your employer in the last 8 weeks. And that employer told ESD you will return to work within the next 8 weeks. Employers would need to request standby in this example.
  • You expect to start working full time with any previous employer within the next 2 weeks. And more than 8 weeks have passed since you last worked for that employer.
  • You expect to start working full time with a new employer within the next 2 weeks.

How to request standby

Both claimants and employers can request standby.

Claimants

To request standby using your eServices account:

  1. Open your current unemployment benefits claim.
  2. Look under "I want to."
  3. Choose "request standby."

When you reopen a claim or open a new one, you may backdate your standby request up to 1 week for any reason.

Employers

You can request standby for your employees. They need a probable return-to-work date within 8 weeks (56 days) of the date of the request. You also need to make the request within 8 weeks of the last day they worked with you.

You can submit the request through any of the following:

  • Your eServices account.
  • The "Request for Separation Information" form. We send this when a worker applies for unemployment benefits.
  • A letter emailed to esdgpuiintakeissues@esd.wa.gov. Include:
    • First and last name of each employee.
    • Claim ID of each employee.
    • Dates of the standby period.

Request a standby extension

We may allow standby for more than 8 weeks in a benefit year due to extreme and unusual circumstances. For example, if an employer needs to shut down to repair damage from a natural disaster or a fire at the business. We don't consider normal seasonal shutdowns to be extreme or unusual circumstances.

We grant these exceptions on an individual basis. We usually grant them due to severe circumstances outside of the employer's control.

Employers can send a request to systempolicy@esd.wa.gov. The request must include all of the following:

  • First and last name of each employee.
  • Claim ID of each employee.
  • Dates of the standby period.
  • Explanation of how your circumstance is unique and unusual.

Visit the Washington State Legislature's page on laws that apply to standby workers to learn more.

Partial unemployment

If you are partially unemployed or furloughed, you may apply for unemployment benefits. Also, you will not have to meet the job search requirements.

We may consider you partially unemployed if you expect to return to full time work for your employer within four months and 1 of the following applies:

  • Your employer hired you to work full time.
  • Your employer reduced your hours each week by no more than 60%.

Be sure you report any work you do and pay you earn for each week you claim benefits. While partially unemployed, whether you are eligible for benefits each week depends on how much you earn each week from your employer.

For example, we often do not consider full-time workers working 1 less day each week partially unemployed. Their weekly pay is not reduced enough. This is because we determine unemployment benefits on a weekly basis.