Can a person collect unemployment if fired - Washington ESD eligibility question

Yes, you can definitely collect unemployment if you're fired, but it depends on the reason. Washington ESD looks at whether you were terminated for 'misconduct' or not. Performance issues generally don't count as misconduct unless it was willful negligence. Since you didn't have formal warnings, that works in your favor. File your claim as soon as possible - you can do it online at esd.wa.gov.

I was fired from my retail job two years ago and got approved for benefits. The key is that it wasn't misconduct - just not being a good fit for the position. Washington ESD approved my claim after about 3 weeks of adjudication.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone to ask questions about your claim, I'd recommend checking out Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help people get through to ESD agents without waiting on hold for hours. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really saved me time when I needed to speak to someone about my adjudication.

MISCONDUCT is the key word here. Washington ESD defines misconduct very specifically - it has to be willful disregard of employer's interests, deliberate violation of rules, or illegal acts. Poor performance by itself usually doesn't qualify as misconduct unless you were deliberately doing bad work.

Whatever you do, file your claim RIGHT NOW. Don't wait. Even if Washington ESD needs to investigate, you want your claim date to start as early as possible. You can always appeal if they deny you initially.

Also be prepared that your employer might contest your claim. Mine did even though it was clearly just performance issues. Washington ESD still approved me after they reviewed everything, but it added a few weeks to the process.

I got fired for attendance issues and still got unemployment. As long as it wasn't gross misconduct (stealing, fighting, etc.) you should be fine. Performance and attendance are usually not considered misconduct by Washington ESD standards.

The unemployment system is set up to help people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Being fired for performance definitely qualifies. Don't let your employer intimidate you into not filing.

Make sure you keep looking for work while your claim is processing. Washington ESD requires job search activities even during adjudication. Log everything in your WorkSourceWA account.

If your claim goes into adjudication and you need to check the status or get updates, calling Washington ESD can be a nightmare. That's another situation where Claimyr really helps - you can actually get through to speak with someone about what's happening with your case instead of getting busy signals all day.

I've been through this exact situation. Filed my claim online on Sunday night after being fired Friday. Got approved 4 weeks later after a brief adjudication period. The key is being completely honest about what happened.

washington esd is pretty fair about these things. i got fired from two different jobs over the years (retail and food service) and got unemployment both times. just be truthful and don't worry too much

Document everything you can remember about your termination - date, who told you, exactly what they said, any witnesses. This will help if there's a hearing or appeal process.

The worst they can do is deny your claim, and then you can appeal. But based on what you've described, I don't think you'll have any problems getting approved. Performance issues without formal discipline rarely count as misconduct.

Also remember that even if your employer contests it, Washington ESD makes the final decision based on state law, not what your employer wants. They see these cases all the time and know the difference between real misconduct and employers trying to avoid paying unemployment taxes.

I was in a similar situation - fired after 6 months for 'not meeting expectations' but never got any formal warnings. Washington ESD approved my claim and I received benefits for 5 months while job hunting. Don't let fear stop you from filing.

The system is designed to help workers, not employers. As long as you worked long enough to qualify and weren't fired for gross misconduct, you should be eligible. File online tonight and start the process.

Good luck with your claim! One last tip - make sure to file your weekly claims every week even while it's in adjudication. You can't get paid for weeks you don't claim, even if you're eventually approved.

If you run into any issues during the process and need to reach Washington ESD, definitely consider using Claimyr. The regular phone lines are swamped and you can waste entire days trying to get through. Their service connects you directly to ESD agents without the wait times.

You've got this! File tonight, be honest about everything, and don't stress too much. The vast majority of people fired for performance issues get approved for unemployment benefits in Washington. The system works.