Can I qualify for ESD unemployment if I quit my job due to school schedule conflicts?

Unfortunately, leaving work voluntarily to attend school is generally considered a personal reason for quitting and doesn't qualify for regular unemployment benefits through ESD. To be eligible for UI, you typically need to have been laid off or terminated without cause, OR have quit with 'good cause' as defined by Washington State law. Education conflicts usually don't meet that 'good cause' standard.\n\nBefore quitting, have you tried:\n1. Getting your school schedule changed instead?\n2. Requesting a formal accommodation in writing (not just asking your manager)?\n3. Seeing if you could transfer to another department with different hours?\n\nIf you document all these attempts, it *might* help if you decide to appeal a denial later.

Thanks for the info. That's pretty much what I was afraid of. I did try talking to both my school advisor and HR at work. The school classes only have one schedule option this semester, and HR basically backed up my manager saying that my shift is 'business critical' and can't be modified. I didn't know about requesting a formal accommodation though - is there a specific way I should do that?

i quit my job last year bcuz of school and got DENIED benefits so fast lol. esd doesnt care about education conflicts at ALL. they told me i should have figured out how to do both or not started school while employed. sucks but thats how it is

Ugh, that's so frustrating! Did you try appealing their decision? I'm wondering if there's any way around this since my employer literally won't work with me at all.

I work as an employment counselor, and I can confirm what others have said. Quitting for school generally doesn't qualify as

This is really helpful information! I've been in a similar situation but didn't think to ask for a formal leave of absence. I wonder if there's some kind of template letter we could use to request these accommodations in writing? My manager always just says \

When I was having problems reaching ESD about my claim status last year, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person at ESD. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3\n\nInstead of quitting right away, maybe try calling ESD directly to ask about your specific situation? They can tell you exactly what would qualify as good cause in your case. I found it really helpful to talk to an actual representative instead of trying to figure everything out from their website.

Did this actually work for you? I tried calling ESD like 50 times last month and never got through. Just kept getting that stupid message about high call volume and to try again later. So frustrating!

Yes! That's exactly why I tried Claimyr - I was getting the same runaround for weeks. They connected me within about 30 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. The ESD agent I spoke with was actually really helpful once I finally got through.

WHY IS THE SYSTEM SO BROKEN??!! This is exactly what's wrong with unemployment in this state. People trying to BETTER THEMSELVES through education get PUNISHED. Meanwhile if you get fired for being late they give you benefits no problem! Makes no sense! The whole system needs to be completely redone!!!

ikr?? its like they want people to stay stuck in dead end jobs forever. my friend got benefits after being fired for some bs reason but i get nothing for trying to go to school. makes zero sense

Have you checked if there's any other type of assistance you might qualify for besides regular unemployment? I know Washington has some programs for workers in training or dislocated workers. Maybe there's something through the WorkSource office that could help? When I was between jobs and going to school, I found out about some training benefits I didn't know existed. Might be worth stopping by your local WorkSource center to ask about options.

That's a really good idea, I hadn't even thought about other types of assistance. I'll check with WorkSource to see if there's anything for students. Thanks for the suggestion!

One more thing to consider: if you do decide to quit, make sure you still file for unemployment even though it's likely to be denied initially. Sometimes the specific circumstances matter, and you always have appeal rights.\n\nIn your appeal, you'd want to emphasize:\n1. That you attempted all possible accommodations with both school and employer\n2. That continuing in the job would make completing education impossible\n3. That you remain able and available for work that doesn't conflict with your education\n\nHave you also considered looking for a new job before quitting? Many employers are more flexible with student schedules, especially if you're upfront about your availability during the interview process. That would be the safest approach financially.

That's good advice. I think I'll start applying for other jobs right away and see if I can find something more compatible with school before I make any decisions about quitting. I'll also document all my attempts to work this out with my current employer just in case. Thanks again for all the help!

wait I'm confused...doesn't ESD have some special training benefits program? my cousin was getting unemployment while he was in a vocational program last year. something about retraining for in-demand jobs?

You're thinking of the Training Benefits Program, but that's different from what the original poster is asking about. The Training Benefits Program is typically for people who are already qualified for regular unemployment (laid off, etc.) and then get approved to attend training while receiving benefits.\n\nThe original poster is asking about quitting a job specifically to attend school, which is different. They wouldn't qualify for regular benefits, so they wouldn't qualify for the training extension either.\n\nBut it's a good point to bring up! If someone is laid off and wants to go to school, they should definitely ask about the Training Benefits Program.