Refusing job offers

Workers must have "good cause" for turning down a job offer while claiming unemployment benefits. Employers can report when claimants refuse job offers.

Workers

For every week you want to receive unemployment benefits, you need to submit a weekly claim. You need to report on your weekly claim whenever you turn down a job offer for any reason.

When you report that you have refused a job offer, we will send you a questionnaire by mail or eServices.

Examples of the questions on the questionnaire include:

  • Who offered the job? What is their contact information?
  • What was the reason for refusing the job offer?
  • What date was the job offer made?
  • What method was the offer made? (by phone, email or a letter)
  • Did you qualify for the type of work offered?

We also will contact the employer. While we review the answers, we will pay your weekly benefits conditionally. At the same time, we will decide if you are still eligible for benefits, and will send you a letter with our decision.

If we decide you have good cause for refusing the job offer, benefits may still be available.

If we decide you did not have good cause, you will need to repay benefits we paid you while we were making our decision. Learn more about overpayments.

Suitable work

Suitable work means the job is in line with your training, work experience, education, health, safety and morals.

We consider:

  • Do you have the experience to perform the work?
  • Other than on-the-job training, do you need more training or education to do the work?
  • Have you done this type of work before?
  • What risk does the job pose to your health, safety and morals?

Good cause

We might decide you have good cause for refusing a job offer if you have a personal and compelling reason.

Examples:

  • You get 2 job offers and need to choose one and refuse the other.
  • The worksite is not safe.

Unsafe worksites

If you refuse a job offer because you are concerned about safety, we will assess the workplace. We will consider information from you, the employer, and state and federal safety rules.

Washington employers need to maintain safe workplaces. They need to follow guidance from all of the following:

We don't consider work to be suitable if the employer is unwilling or unable to provide a safe workplace.

Not good cause

  • You make more on unemployment than you would at the job offered.
  • You do not want to work.
  • You are nervous about returning to work, but do not have another acceptable reason to refuse.
  • You do not like the job, even though it is suitable.
  • You want to change careers.
  • You are in school.
  • You are returning to a previous job, but do not know when.
  • You are waiting for a different employer to offer you a job.

Fraudulent claims

When you file your weekly claims, you need to report if you receive a job offer. We'll ask you and the employer questions. Then we'll decide if you are still eligible for unemployment benefits. If you knowingly withhold information or do not tell the truth, we consider that fraud.

If you submit a fraudulent claim, we might decide that you are not eligible for benefits. You also might need to repay benefits you received, pay a penalty and even be charged with a crime.

Employers

When you make job offers, you need to explain all of the following:

  • Pay.
  • Hours.
  • Start date.
  • Schedule.
  • Location.
  • Any other details that apply.

Job offers to former employees

The working conditions, wages and hours you offer need to be similar to what you offered before.

How we use the information

We will use this information to decide whether the work you offered is "bona fide" or valid and if it is suitable for the worker. Then we will decide if the worker had good cause to refuse your job offer.

We prefer written job offers because they show a clear date and description of the offer.

When an unemployment claimant refuses your job offer

We will contact you if you or the claimant reports to us that they refused a job offer. We will need to decide if the claimant still qualifies for unemployment benefits. You can use eServices to report a work refusal.

We will ask you to provide:

  • Name and Social Security number of the claimant.
  • Date of job offer.
  • Who made the job offer and their title.
  • Details of the job offer: position, location, wages, hours, etc.
  • How you offered the job: phone, email, text, etc.
  • Your business contact information.
  • The claimant's response.

Workers and employers: You both can appeal our decision

You can file an appeal if you disagree with our decision about a claimant's unemployment benefits. Examples of decisions you can appeal include:

  • Whether a claimant had good cause to refuse a job offer.
  • Whether the job offer was suitable.
  • Whether a claim is fraudulent.

Learn more about how to appeal a decision.