Can I get unemployment if I get fired from my job in Washington?

That's helpful, thanks. The write-ups are for things like being 3 minutes late or not organizing my desk exactly how she wants. Nothing serious like theft or anything.

Those sound like performance issues rather than misconduct. You should be fine for unemployment if they fire you for that stuff.

How long did the whole process take? I'm worried about going weeks without income while they investigate.

It took about 3 weeks for them to make a decision. The hardest part was actually getting through to someone at Washington ESD to check on my claim status.

How much does something like that cost? I'm already worried about money if I lose my job.

It's worth it when you consider how much time you'd waste trying to get through normally. Plus they actually get results.

Interesting, never heard of this before but the calling situation with Washington ESD is definitely frustrating.

Good point. I've been keeping photos of the write-ups on my phone. Should I also document the conversations we have?

Yes, write down dates, times, and what was said. Email yourself summaries after each interaction so you have timestamps.

Oh no, that's exactly what I'm afraid of. Have you been able to check your claim status at all?

Not really, I keep trying to call but either get busy signals or get hung up on after waiting forever. It's so frustrating.

That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier - they specialize in getting you through to Washington ESD agents when you can't reach them yourself. Might be worth trying if you're stuck.

What about if they say you had a bad attitude? That seems pretty subjective.

Exactly - 'attitude' is usually too vague to constitute misconduct unless there were specific incidents of insubordination or disrupting the workplace.

Two months?! That's terrifying. How did you survive financially during that time?

Barely. Had to borrow money from family and use credit cards. The whole system needs to be reformed.

This is why I always tell people to file immediately even if they're not sure they qualify. Better to get the process started early.

Do I need to keep track of my job search activities during the review period?

Yes, Washington ESD requires you to log job search activities from day one. Use WorkSourceWA or keep your own records, but document everything.

Is there anything someone can do to prepare if they think they might get fired?

Document everything, save positive performance reviews, and don't give them any real reasons to fire you for cause. Keep showing up and doing your job even if the environment is toxic.

That's reassuring! Did your employer contest it at all?

They didn't contest it. I think they knew they were being petty and didn't want to deal with the paperwork.

What if they say it's a layoff but you suspect they're just trying to avoid paying unemployment?

Washington ESD will investigate and look at things like whether they hired someone else for a similar role right after letting you go.

Yeah, I definitely won't quit. Even though this situation is stressful, I need to protect my right to unemployment benefits.

Smart thinking. I made the mistake of quitting once and regretted it immediately when I realized I wouldn't get benefits.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Feeling a bit better about the situation now, even though I still hope it doesn't come to that.

Keep us posted on how things go! This kind of workplace harassment is way too common.

And remember, if you need to reach Washington ESD about your claim status and can't get through, Claimyr at claimyr.com really does work. Sometimes you just need to talk to an actual person to get answers.