This is such a complex and frustrating situation, and I really feel for you having to navigate this with a newborn! I went through something similar last year and learned the hard way that there are actually THREE different sets of requirements you might be dealing with: federal FMLA (1,250 hours + 12 months employment), Washington state's own family leave job protection (which I believe has slightly different criteria), and the PFL benefits eligibility (820 hours in qualifying period). What really helped me was requesting a meeting with HR rather than just email - it's harder for them to brush you off in person, and you can ask questions in real time about their calculations. When I did this, I discovered they had miscounted several pay periods where I had worked split shifts, and they hadn't properly included some holiday hours I'd worked. Also, if you do find out you don't qualify for job protection, don't panic yet. Some employers will still work with you on returning to a similar position, especially if you've been a good employee. And like others mentioned, if you suspect any discrimination or if they're treating you differently than other employees in similar situations, document everything and consider contacting the EEOC or a labor attorney for a consultation. Many will give you a free initial consultation to tell you if you have a case. You're not powerless here - keep fighting for what you deserve!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stressful situation! As someone who works in employment law, I want to add that you should also check if your employer is subject to Washington's Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which provides additional protections beyond FMLA. Even if you don't meet the federal hour requirements, Washington state law may still protect your position. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also verify whether your employer correctly calculated your "qualifying period" for the 1,250 hours. Some employers mistakenly use the wrong 12-month period - it should be the 12 months immediately before your leave started, not a calendar year or fiscal year. If you discover your employer made calculation errors and you actually do qualify, they could be in serious legal trouble for denying your return. Document every conversation about this in writing and keep copies of all your timesheets. Many employment attorneys will take these cases on contingency if there's clear employer wrongdoing. Don't let them make you feel like you don't have options - Washington has some of the strongest worker protections in the country!

Perfect summary. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences. This community is really helpful!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago in Washington. The key thing to remember is that severance timing matters more than the amount. When I got my $6,000 severance as a lump sum, I filed my UI claim immediately after my last day of work. Washington ESD determined that since my employer didn't allocate the severance to specific weeks, it didn't delay my benefits. I started receiving payments within 3 weeks of filing. My advice: file your claim right away and let ESD make the determination rather than trying to guess. Also, keep every piece of severance documentation - they may ask for it during the review process.

Final piece of advice - if you run into any issues with your claim or need to speak with someone at Washington ESD, don't give up on trying to reach them. The phone system is frustrating but persistence pays off. Or use one of those callback services like someone mentioned earlier if you can't get through on your own.

Just to reinforce what everyone else has said - there's absolutely no downside to filing immediately after losing your job. I made the mistake of thinking I needed to wait for some kind of "official" termination paperwork from my employer and it cost me. Washington ESD doesn't care about your employer's internal processes - they just need to know you're unemployed and when it started. The application itself takes maybe 30-45 minutes if you have your basic employment info ready. Don't overthink it - just get it submitted as soon as you can!

Bottom line: unemployment is taxable income, you'll get a 1099-G showing how much you received, and you should either have taxes withheld or set money aside. Washington state has no income tax so it's just federal taxes you need to worry about.

One more thing to keep in mind - if you end up finding a new job before the end of the year, make sure to tell your new employer about the unemployment income when filling out your W-4. They might need to withhold extra taxes from your paychecks to cover what you'll owe on the UI benefits. I made this mistake once and ended up owing way more than expected because my new job's withholding didn't account for the unemployment income I'd received earlier in the year.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - it's incredibly frustrating when employers fabricate reasons to avoid paying unemployment! I went through something similar last year where my boss claimed I was "unprofessional with customers" when actually they were just cutting costs and didn't want to admit it was a layoff. Here's what really helped my case: I documented EVERYTHING in chronological order, including dates, times, and any witnesses present. Since you mentioned the new manager wanted their own team, that's actually a really strong point in your favor - it shows the real reason for termination wasn't your performance or conduct. A few things that made a difference for me: - I requested my complete personnel file from HR (they have to provide it within 10 days in WA) - I gathered any positive feedback, emails, or performance reviews from before the new manager arrived - I stayed factual and calm during my adjudication interview, never getting emotional even though I was furious The adjudicator ended up approving my claim because my employer couldn't provide specific evidence of their accusations - just vague statements. It took about 5 weeks total but I got all my back pay. Don't lose hope! Employers who lie often can't back up their claims when ESD digs deeper. You've got this!

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! My former employer is claiming I was "unreliable" and had "attitude problems" - complete lies because they were restructuring and didn't want to pay severance or unemployment. The new management just wanted to clean house and bring in their own people. What's really helping my case is that I kept detailed records of everything - emails, performance reviews, even screenshots of my timesheet showing I was never late or absent without approval. The adjudicator seemed very interested when I pointed out that all these supposed "issues" only became problems after the new manager arrived, despite me having 2+ years of good reviews before that. I'm about 3 weeks into adjudication too and I know how nerve-wracking the wait is. But from talking to others who've been through this, employers who make false claims often struggle when ESD asks them for specific dates, documentation, and witness statements. They're banking on ESD just accepting their word, but the adjudicators are trained to spot inconsistencies. Stay strong and keep gathering any evidence that shows you were a good employee before this new manager showed up. The pattern of timing really works in your favor - it's pretty obvious what's really going on here!