Hope your recovery goes smoothly! At least you have the STD option to fall back on while you heal.

I work as a benefits counselor and see this situation frequently. You're absolutely right to be concerned about reporting correctly. The bottom line is Washington state requires you to be "able and available" for work to receive unemployment benefits. Since you'll be medically unable to work for 6-8 weeks, you should stop filing weekly claims once your disability period begins. However, I'd strongly recommend calling Washington ESD (or using a service like the Claimyr one mentioned above) to officially report the change in your status. This creates a paper trail showing you acted in good faith, which is important if you want to reopen your claim later. Also, make sure to get the exact start date for your STD benefits so there's no gap in coverage during the transition.

Company acquisitions are notorious for this kind of bait-and-switch tactic. They keep existing employees around just long enough to extract knowledge about processes, client relationships, and systems, then cut them loose once the transition is complete. The fact that they gave you contradictory reasons for termination actually strengthens your unemployment case significantly. When you file your claim, emphasize that you were explicitly told your position was secure during the acquisition meetings, completed training with the new company, and were terminated with false initial reasoning that they immediately retracted. This pattern suggests they had no legitimate performance-based reason for the termination. One thing to watch out for: some employers will try to claim "poor cultural fit" or similar vague reasons during the adjudication process. Keep all your documentation organized and be ready to provide specific dates, times, and witnesses to conversations. The burden of proof is on them to demonstrate misconduct, not on you to prove innocence. Good luck with your claim - this type of situation is exactly what unemployment insurance is designed to cover!

I went through something very similar about 6 months ago - new company took over, promised everyone their jobs were safe, then started picking people off one by one with made-up reasons. The changing story they gave you is actually a red flag that works in your favor for unemployment. Here's what I learned from my experience: file your claim immediately and be completely honest about everything that happened. When they ask about the reason for separation, explain that you were initially told it was for missed work days (which you can prove is false with your attendance records) but then they changed it to staff reduction. ESD sees right through these inconsistent stories from employers. Also, since you mentioned you've never applied before - make sure you have your Social Security card, driver's license, and employment history for the past 18 months ready when you file. You'll need to report your gross wages from your last day of work, and having your final paystub handy will make the process smoother. The whole situation sucks, but you've got a solid case for benefits. Don't let them intimidate you - what they did is exactly why unemployment insurance exists.

Hang in there OP. The job market is tough right now but it will get better. In the meantime, use every resource available to you - there's no shame in needing help during unemployment.

I'm in a similar situation and what's helped me is creating a monthly budget breakdown to see exactly where I can cut expenses. Also, check if your city has any emergency assistance programs - many have one-time rental help or utility credits specifically for unemployed residents. The United Way website (dial 211) has a search tool where you can enter your zip code and find local resources. Don't overlook things like WIC if you qualify, discounted internet programs, and even asking your utility companies about low-income rate plans. Every little bit adds up when you're stretching unemployment benefits.

Based on what you've described, this sounds like a standard adjudication process rather than your employer actively contesting your claim. Performance-based terminations (not meeting quotas) are generally different from misconduct terminations, and you should still be eligible for benefits. A few key points for your responses: - Be completely honest about the warnings you received - Emphasize that you were making good faith efforts to meet standards - Clearly explain how the territory reduction impacted your ability to hit quotas - Include any documentation you have about territory changes or delayed training The fact that your company didn't follow their own progressive discipline policy (no formal PIP despite having one) could actually work in your favor. Just stick to facts, avoid emotional language, and provide as much context as possible about external factors that affected your performance. Good luck!

Just wanted to add that when you mention the territory reduction in your responses, be specific about the timeline and impact. For example, if your territory was reduced by 30% in July and you were terminated in August for not meeting quota, that shows a direct causal relationship. ESD adjudicators look for patterns like this that demonstrate the termination was due to circumstances beyond your reasonable control rather than poor work habits or misconduct. Also, if you have any sales data showing you were meeting or close to meeting targets before the territory change, definitely include that as well. It helps paint a clear picture of how external factors affected your performance.

Final thought - whatever you decide, make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. Don't quit just because you think you'll get unemployment benefits. But if you genuinely have good cause and the situation is affecting your health or safety, then document everything and be prepared to fight for your benefits.

I've been in a similar situation and wanted to share my experience. I successfully got unemployment benefits after quitting due to a toxic work environment in Washington state. The key things that helped my case were: 1) I kept detailed records of every incident including dates, times, and any witnesses, 2) I saved all emails and text messages related to the hostile behavior, 3) I documented my attempts to resolve the issues internally first, and 4) I was able to show how the situation was affecting my health (I had doctor visits for stress-related symptoms). The initial denial was discouraging, but I appealed and won at the hearing. My advice is to be very thorough with your documentation - treat it like you're building a legal case, because essentially you are. Also, consider consulting with an employment attorney for a free consultation to get their opinion on whether your situation meets the "good cause" standard. Don't let a bad employer trap you in an intolerable situation - you have rights, but you need to be strategic about protecting them.