This whole thread has been eye-opening. I had no idea you could potentially get unemployment after quitting. Definitely saving this information for future reference!

I went through a similar situation about 8 months ago and want to share what I learned. The Washington ESD adjudication process for good cause quits is really thorough - they'll interview you, your former employer, and sometimes witnesses. Make sure you can clearly articulate not just what happened, but also what steps you took to try to fix the situation before quitting. I kept a detailed journal of incidents and my attempts to resolve them, which the adjudicator said really helped my case. Also, don't be discouraged if you get an initial denial - about 60% of good cause quit claims get approved on appeal according to what the ESD rep told me.

This is exactly why I hate dealing with government agencies. They make simple things so complicated and then you can't even reach anyone when you need help.

Final update: I submitted my good cause appeal with all the documentation everyone suggested. Now I just have to wait and see what happens. Thanks everyone for the advice and support!

One last tip - sign up for email notifications from ESD. They'll remind you about quarterly deadlines and any changes to rates or rules. Helps avoid those 'oh crap I forgot' moments.

Just wanted to add that if you're planning to have seasonal employees or expect irregular hiring patterns, it might be worth setting up your ESD account even before you technically need to. I made the mistake of waiting until I had to hire quickly for a project, and the registration process took longer than expected. Having everything in place beforehand would have saved me some stress. Also, once you're registered, you can always file $0 wage reports for quarters when you don't have employees.

The Washington ESD really needs to invest in better phone infrastructure. This is ridiculous for a state agency.

I've been dealing with this same nightmare for weeks! What finally worked for me was calling exactly at 7:59am and hitting redial continuously until I got through the busy signal. Also, I found that Tuesday and Wednesday mornings seem to be slightly less busy than Mondays. Another trick - if you get the "we're experiencing high call volume" message, don't hang up! Stay on the line because sometimes it will still put you in the queue even though it sounds like they're telling you to call back later. Hang in there everyone, it's frustrating but persistence really does pay off eventually.

One more tip - if you do get through to someone but they say they can't help with your specific issue, politely ask them to transfer you to a claims specialist instead of hanging up and trying again. Sometimes they can put you in a priority queue if you're already in the system. Also, make sure you're caught up on all your weekly claims while waiting. Even if your initial claim is pending, you need to keep filing each week or you'll lose benefits for those weeks.

I feel your pain - I went through this exact same nightmare last year! What finally worked for me was calling the main number at 7:58am sharp and when the automated system starts, I pressed 1-1-2 instead of following the normal prompts. This sometimes bypasses the "high call volume" message and puts you in a different queue. Also, try calling on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings - Mondays are absolutely brutal because everyone calls then. And if you get the "goodbye" message, call back immediately. Sometimes the system will let you through on the 2nd or 3rd attempt right in a row. One last thing - keep a notepad ready with your claim number, SSN, and specific questions written down. When you finally get someone, they move fast and you don't want to waste time fumbling for information. Good luck!