Can I get Washington ESD unemployment if I was fired for performance issues?

Yes, you can still get unemployment benefits even if you were fired for performance issues. Washington ESD distinguishes between being fired for misconduct versus being fired for inability to perform the job. Performance issues usually fall under the latter category, which doesn't disqualify you from benefits.

I was in a similar situation last year. Got fired for not hitting sales targets even though I was trying my best. Washington ESD approved my claim after about 2 weeks of adjudication.

Performance-related terminations don't automatically disqualify you from Washington ESD benefits. The key distinction is between misconduct and performance issues. If you were genuinely trying to do the job but couldn't meet standards, that's typically not considered misconduct. You should definitely file your claim - Washington ESD will investigate and make a determination based on the specific circumstances.

Performance-related terminations don't automatically disqualify you from Washington ESD unemployment benefits. The key distinction is between misconduct and poor performance. If you were genuinely trying to do your job but couldn't meet standards due to lack of training, unrealistic expectations, or other factors beyond your control, you may still qualify. You should definitely file a claim and let Washington ESD make the determination.

Your claim will likely go into adjudication since you were terminated rather than laid off. Washington ESD will investigate the circumstances and may contact both you and your former employer. Be prepared to explain your side of the story clearly.

I went through something similar and got my benefits approved. The difference is whether you were fired for willful misconduct vs just not being good at the job. If you were showing up, following rules, and trying to do the work, that's usually not misconduct even if your performance wasn't great.

I was in a similar situation last year - fired for not hitting sales targets at a retail job. I was worried I wouldn't qualify but I applied anyway and got approved after about 3 weeks. The adjudication process took longer because they had to contact my former employer, but it worked out.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on your claim status, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really saved me time instead of calling hundreds of times.

File your claim immediately - don't wait. Even if there's an issue with your termination, you want to get the process started. I had a friend who waited thinking he wouldn't qualify and it delayed everything by weeks. The worst they can say is no, but performance issues usually aren't considered willful misconduct under Washington state law.

Just be prepared that your employer might contest your claim. When I got fired for performance, my company fought it and said I was being insubordinate. I had to go through an appeal process but eventually won. If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on your claim status, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Just went through this whole mess myself. Couldn't get through to Washington ESD on the phone for weeks to check my claim status - kept getting busy signals or hung up on. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to an actual person at Washington ESD. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and I got my questions answered in one conversation.

Performance vs misconduct is huge difference! I work in HR and see this all the time. Misconduct is like stealing, fighting, not showing up - stuff you do on purpose. Performance is more like you're trying but can't do the job well enough. Most performance firings don't disqualify you from UI benefits.

ugh the whole system is so confusing. I got fired for performance too but they made it sound like it was my fault for not trying hard enough. How do you even prove you were trying when filing the claim?

ugh the whole system is so confusing. I was fired too but for attendance issues and I'm scared they'll deny me. How do they decide what counts as misconduct vs performance??

File the claim but be prepared for adjudication. When you're fired (even for performance), Washington ESD has to investigate to determine if it was misconduct. This can add several weeks to the process. Make sure you have documentation about the training issues and changing requirements you mentioned.

Been there! Got canned from a call center job for not meeting talk time metrics. I was devastated thinking I couldn't get unemployment. Turned out the standards they set were basically impossible for new people and lots of us got fired. Still qualified for benefits because it wasn't misconduct.

Whatever you do, don't lie on your application. Be upfront that you were terminated for performance. Trying to hide it will just cause more problems if they find out later. Washington ESD investigates these things pretty thoroughly.

this happened to my brother too and he got unemployment no problem. performance issues are different than like stealing or not showing up to work. as long as you werent doing anything wrong on purpose you should be fine

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED ANYWAY! Employers can fire you for any reason and then fight your unemployment claim just to be spiteful. I got fired for 'performance' but really it was because I questioned some of their shady practices. Had to fight tooth and nail to get my benefits.

Key difference is whether you were fired for something you did intentionally vs. something you couldn't help. Performance issues usually mean you were trying but couldn't meet expectations - that's not misconduct under Washington ESD rules.

The Washington ESD phone system is absolutely brutal right now. I've been trying to get through for two weeks about my own claim. Might have to try that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier. Getting really frustrated with the constant busy signals.

Performance terminations usually qualify unless there's something really egregious. Like if you were sleeping on the job or refusing to follow instructions, that might be misconduct. But just not being fast enough or not meeting metrics? That's performance.

File ASAP and make sure you keep doing your weekly claims even during adjudication. If you're eventually approved, you'll get back pay for those weeks. But if you don't file the weekly claims, you lose those weeks completely.

To clarify the misconduct standard in Washington - it has to be willful disregard of the employer's interests or deliberate violation of reasonable workplace rules. Poor performance due to inability rather than unwillingness typically doesn't meet this standard. Make sure to file your weekly claims even while the initial determination is pending.

honestly the whole unemployment system feels designed to discourage people from applying. like they make it so complicated and scary that half the people who qualify probably don't even try

Make sure you file your claim as soon as possible. Even if it gets denied initially, you can appeal the decision. I've seen people win appeals for performance-related terminations.

I work in HR and can tell you that most performance-based terminations result in approved unemployment claims unless there was clear misconduct involved. The employer has to prove willful misconduct, not just that you weren't meeting standards.

Been there. Got fired from my warehouse job for not making productivity numbers. Took about a month but Washington ESD approved my claim. The key is being honest about what happened and showing you were making an effort.

When I got fired for performance issues, I was panicking about everything. The unemployment process seemed so overwhelming, especially trying to get through to Washington ESD on the phone. A friend told me about Claimyr and honestly it was a lifesaver - I was able to talk to an actual person at Washington ESD within like 15 minutes instead of calling for days. Really helped me understand exactly what I needed to provide for my case.

File your claim ASAP! Even if you're unsure, there's no penalty for applying and being denied. But there is a penalty for waiting too long to file. You can always appeal if the initial decision goes against you.

I work at a company that's had to lay people off and also terminate for performance. The way it gets reported to Washington ESD is different. Layoffs are usually automatic approval. Performance terminations trigger an investigation but most of them still get approved unless there's clear misconduct involved.

Whatever you do, don't lie on your application. Washington ESD will find out the truth anyway when they contact your employer. Being honest about the performance issues actually helps your case.

I got fired for performance from a sales job where I just couldn't hit the numbers they wanted. I was honest about it when filing and got approved. The key is being upfront about what happened and showing you were making genuine efforts to improve.

Start your job search activities right away too, even during adjudication. Washington ESD requires you to be actively looking for work and you'll need to log your job search activities. Better to get ahead of that requirement.

The adjudication process can be nerve-wracking but most performance-related terminations get approved. Just be patient and make sure you keep filing your weekly claims while you wait for the decision.

I used Claimyr too when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my adjudication. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get hung up on. Worth checking out their demo video if you need to talk to someone.

Performance issues are usually not considered 'willful misconduct' under Washington state law. Things like theft, fighting, or refusing to do assigned work are misconduct. Not being able to meet performance standards is different.

Document everything you can remember about your termination - dates, conversations with supervisors, any training you received, etc. This will help if you need to provide details during the adjudication.

same thing happened to me at my retail job. couldn't keep up with the new computer system and they let me go. got approved for unemployment after about 3 weeks of waiting.

Don't stress too much about it. Performance-related terminations are pretty common and Washington ESD deals with them all the time. As long as you weren't stealing or doing something obviously wrong, you should be fine.

Make sure you understand the difference between being fired 'for cause' and being fired 'for performance.' Performance issues usually don't disqualify you from benefits, but misconduct will.

I had to use Claimyr when my claim got stuck in adjudication for weeks. Finally got to talk to someone at Washington ESD who explained exactly what was happening with my case. Saved me a lot of stress and uncertainty.

Been through this process twice - once for performance issues and once for a layoff. The performance termination actually went smoother because there was no misconduct involved. Just took longer for them to investigate.

The most important thing is to file your claim right away and keep filing your weekly claims. Even if you think you might not qualify, let Washington ESD make that determination. You can't get benefits for weeks you don't claim.

Had a buddy who used Claimyr when he couldn't get through about his overpayment issue. Said it was worth every penny to actually talk to someone instead of calling 50 times a day. The Washington ESD phone system is just broken right now.

Bottom line - file your claim and let Washington ESD decide. You pay into unemployment insurance through your paycheck, so you've earned the right to apply for benefits when you lose your job. Performance issues rarely rise to the level of disqualifying misconduct.

Good luck with your claim! The waiting and uncertainty is the worst part, but most performance-related terminations do qualify for benefits. Just be patient with the adjudication process and keep filing your weekly claims.

wait so being bad at your job isnt misconduct?? i thought any firing meant no unemployment

The burden of proof is on the employer to show misconduct. If they can't prove you were deliberately doing something wrong or violating clear policies, performance issues usually don't disqualify you. Document everything about your termination though.

Similar thing happened to me at a call center. Couldn't meet their crazy call time requirements but I was following all procedures and trying my best. Got my unemployment approved after about a month. Just be honest in your application.

I've seen employers try to claim performance issues were 'insubordination' or 'failure to follow instructions' to make it sound like misconduct. Don't let them intimidate you if they contest your claim. Stick to the facts about what really happened.

Pro tip: when you file, be specific about what kind of performance issues led to termination. 'Not meeting sales quotas' is different from 'refusing to follow company procedures.' The more specific you are, the clearer it becomes that it wasn't misconduct.

honestly the whole unemployment system is confusing but performance stuff usually works out okay. i had a friend who got fired for being too slow at a warehouse job and she got benefits fine

If you do end up needing to appeal or having trouble getting information from Washington ESD, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier actually works pretty well. I used it when I had questions about my adjudication process and was able to get through to someone who explained everything clearly. Saved me a lot of stress.

Bottom line - file your claim. Performance-based terminations are often approved as long as there wasn't willful misconduct involved. You have nothing to lose by applying and potentially benefits to gain.

Just wanted to add that even if your employer contests your claim, don't panic. The appeal process exists for a reason and Washington ESD hears both sides. I won my appeal even though my former employer made it sound like I was terrible at my job.

I was in a very similar situation - got fired for not meeting performance targets at a customer service job despite being on a performance improvement plan. I was terrified I wouldn't qualify for benefits, but I filed anyway and was approved after about 4 weeks of adjudication. The key thing Washington ESD looks at is whether you were making a genuine effort to do the job versus willfully not doing it. Since you were trying to improve and following the PIP, that shows good faith effort. Definitely file your claim immediately and be completely honest about the circumstances. Don't wait thinking you won't qualify - you might be surprised. The worst they can do is say no, but performance issues are often approvable.