Can I file for unemployment if I was fired from my job in Washington?
I got terminated from my warehouse job last Friday and I'm wondering if I can still file for unemployment benefits through Washington ESD. My supervisor said it was for attendance issues but I think they were being unfair about it. I had some legitimate reasons for being late a few times (car trouble, family emergency). Does getting fired automatically disqualify you from UI benefits? I'm really stressed about this and need to know if it's even worth applying.
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Lucas Lindsey
You can definitely file for unemployment even if you were fired. Washington ESD will look at whether you were terminated for 'misconduct' or just poor performance/attendance. If it wasn't willful misconduct, you should be eligible. The key is whether your actions were deliberate violations of company policy.
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Emma Olsen
•That's reassuring to hear. How do I prove it wasn't misconduct? I kept records of when I called in sick or had car trouble.
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Lucas Lindsey
•Keep all your documentation ready. Washington ESD will contact your employer during the adjudication process to get their side of the story. Having records showing you followed proper procedures for absences will help your case.
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Sophie Duck
similar thing happened to me 2 months ago. got fired for being late too many times but i filed anyway and got approved. took about 3 weeks for adjudication to finish but they said it wasnt misconduct since i wasnt deliberately trying to hurt the company
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Emma Olsen
•That gives me hope! Did you have to provide any documentation or did they just take your word for it?
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Sophie Duck
•they asked for my side of the story and i sent them copies of my text messages to my supervisor when i called in. employer probably gave their version too but mine got approved
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Austin Leonard
The Washington ESD uses a pretty specific definition of misconduct. Generally, you need to have willfully violated company policy or acted in a way that was deliberately harmful to your employer's interests. Being late due to car trouble or family emergencies usually doesn't meet that threshold, especially if you followed proper notification procedures.
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Anita George
•This is really helpful information. Do you know how long the adjudication process typically takes for these kinds of cases?
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Austin Leonard
•Right now it's running about 2-4 weeks for most adjudication cases. They have to contact your employer and give them time to respond, then review all the documentation. You can check your claim status online through your Washington ESD account.
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Abigail Spencer
I struggled with this exact situation last year. Spent weeks trying to get through to Washington ESD to check on my claim status after being fired. The phone lines are absolutely impossible - I'd call hundreds of times and either get busy signals or get hung up on after waiting on hold for hours. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a real person at Washington ESD within minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved my sanity honestly.
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Emma Olsen
•Wow, I hadn't heard of that service before. Did they help you get your claim resolved faster?
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Abigail Spencer
•Yeah, being able to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD made all the difference. I was able to explain my situation directly and get clarification on what documentation they needed. The website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out.
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Logan Chiang
•Is this legit? I'm always skeptical of services that claim they can get you through government phone lines.
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Isla Fischer
File immediately, don't wait. Even if you're not sure about eligibility, it's better to file and let Washington ESD make the determination. The worst they can do is deny your claim, but if you don't file at all, you're definitely not getting benefits. Plus, there's a waiting period before benefits start, so filing early is crucial.
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Emma Olsen
•Good point about filing early. I was worried about filing if I might not be eligible, but you're right that it's better to try.
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Miles Hammonds
•Exactly! And make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even during adjudication. If you stop filing weekly claims, you could lose benefits for those weeks even if your claim gets approved later.
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Sophie Duck
MAKE SURE YOU SAVE EVERYTHING. emails, text messages, employee handbook, anything that shows you were following company policies or had legitimate reasons for your actions. washington esd might ask for proof weeks later
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Emma Olsen
•I do have some text messages where I notified my supervisor about being late. Should I organize these somehow before submitting?
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Lucas Lindsey
•Screenshots with timestamps work well. Make sure the dates are visible and organize them chronologically. Washington ESD likes clear, organized documentation.
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Anita George
What exactly happens during the adjudication process? I'm curious about the timeline and what to expect.
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Austin Leonard
•Washington ESD will send you a questionnaire about the circumstances of your termination. They'll also contact your employer for their version of events. Both sides can submit documentation. Then an adjudicator reviews everything and makes a decision.
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Anita George
•Thanks! Do they notify you when they contact your employer, or does it just happen behind the scenes?
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Austin Leonard
•It mostly happens behind the scenes, but you can sometimes see status updates in your online account. The employer gets a certain amount of time to respond before Washington ESD makes their decision.
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Logan Chiang
I got fired for attendance too but mine was different - I was missing work to take care of my sick mom and didn't have FMLA. Washington ESD still approved my claim because they said it was a compelling family circumstance, not misconduct. Every case is different.
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Emma Olsen
•That's encouraging. It sounds like they really do look at the individual circumstances rather than just the fact that you were fired.
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Ruby Blake
•Family emergencies are usually treated differently than just oversleeping or not showing up without notice. The key is whether you communicated with your employer about the situation.
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Micah Franklin
Whatever you do, don't lie on your application or during the adjudication process. Washington ESD will find out the truth when they contact your employer, and being dishonest will definitely disqualify you from benefits.
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Emma Olsen
•Absolutely. I plan to be completely honest about what happened. I just hope they see it from my perspective and understand I wasn't trying to be a problem employee.
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Miles Hammonds
The system is definitely confusing and frustrating to navigate, especially when you're already stressed about losing your job. But most people who were fired for attendance issues (not stealing, violence, etc.) do end up getting approved eventually.
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Emma Olsen
•That's reassuring to hear. I was worried that any kind of firing would automatically disqualify me.
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Ella Harper
•Nope, Washington ESD makes distinctions between different types of terminations. Poor performance or attendance issues are handled very differently from serious misconduct like theft or harassment.
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PrinceJoe
Has anyone here actually gotten through to Washington ESD by phone recently? I need to ask about my specific situation but calling seems hopeless.
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Abigail Spencer
•Like I mentioned earlier, I had to use Claimyr to get through. The regular phone lines are basically unusable with the call volume they're dealing with.
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Brooklyn Knight
•I tried calling for three days straight last month and never got through. Ended up just submitting everything online and waiting for them to contact me.
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Ruby Blake
Don't forget about the job search requirements while your claim is being adjudicated. You still need to be actively looking for work and logging your job search activities, even if you haven't been approved yet.
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Emma Olsen
•Good reminder! I should start keeping track of my job applications right away then.
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Ruby Blake
•Yes, and register with WorkSourceWA if you haven't already. It's required and you'll need to show you're actively seeking employment.
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Ella Harper
The whole process is nerve-wracking but try not to stress too much about it. If you were genuinely trying to be a good employee and had legitimate reasons for your attendance issues, Washington ESD will likely see that during adjudication.
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Emma Olsen
•Thanks for the encouragement. I'm going to file today and hope for the best. At least now I know what to expect from the process.
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Owen Devar
Just want to add that if your claim gets denied, you can always appeal the decision. Don't give up if the first adjudication doesn't go your way - appeals sometimes have different outcomes.
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Emma Olsen
•Good to know there's a backup plan. Hopefully it won't come to that, but it's reassuring to know appeals are possible.
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Owen Devar
•Appeals do take longer though, so hopefully your initial adjudication goes well. Just keep all your documentation organized in case you need it.
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Daniel Rivera
I'm dealing with something similar right now. Got fired three weeks ago and still waiting for my adjudication decision. The uncertainty is killing me but at least I know I did everything I could to be a good employee.
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Emma Olsen
•The waiting is definitely the hardest part. Hope you get good news soon!
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Sophie Duck
•hang in there, 3 weeks is still pretty normal for adjudication timing. mine took almost 4 weeks but got approved
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Sophie Footman
I had a friend who used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. She said it was a game-changer for actually getting through to Washington ESD when she needed to provide additional documentation for her adjudication case.
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Emma Olsen
•Seems like a lot of people have had success with it. I might look into that if I need to follow up on my case.
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Connor Rupert
•I was skeptical at first but honestly, when you can't get through the regular phone lines for weeks, any solution starts looking good.
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Molly Hansen
Bottom line: file your claim, be honest about what happened, keep good records, and don't get discouraged by the process. Most people in your situation do end up getting benefits eventually.
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Emma Olsen
•Thank you everyone for all the advice and encouragement. I feel much more confident about filing now. Going to get started on the application right away.
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Brady Clean
Good luck with your claim! Remember to keep filing those weekly claims even during adjudication. The worst part is the waiting, but it usually works out if you were genuinely trying to do right by your employer.
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Emma Olsen
•Will do! Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences and advice. This thread has been incredibly helpful.
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