Can an employer deny unemployment benefits in Washington - worried about my claim

Employers can't technically 'deny' your unemployment, but they can contest it which triggers an adjudication process. Washington ESD will investigate both sides and make a determination. The burden is on the employer to prove misconduct if that's what they're claiming. You should gather any documentation you have about your layoff - emails, notices, anything that shows it was a reduction in force rather than termination for cause.

This happened to me last year. My employer tried to claim I quit when I was actually laid off due to COVID cutbacks. The adjudication took about 3 weeks but I won and got all my back benefits. Washington ESD sees through employer BS pretty easily if you have documentation.

If you can't get through to Washington ESD to check on your adjudication status, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual person. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.

employers contest claims all the time to try to keep their unemployment insurance rates low. It's really frustrating but most of the time if you were truly laid off the adjudicator will rule in your favor. Just be patient and respond to any requests for information quickly.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!!! Employers can just lie and say whatever they want and we have to prove our innocence. I've been fighting my case for 2 MONTHS and still haven't gotten a penny while my rent is overdue. Washington ESD doesn't care about working people at all!!!

What kind of misconduct are they claiming? That makes a difference in how strong their case is. If it's something like attendance issues, that's harder for them to prove than something like theft or violence.

Keep filing your weekly claims even during adjudication! If you win, you'll get back pay for all the weeks you filed. If you don't file, you can't get those weeks back later.

My brother went through this same thing and it took forever to resolve. He ended up having to appeal twice before he finally got his benefits. The employers have lawyers and we're just regular people trying to survive.

Document everything! Keep records of all your communications with Washington ESD, any paperwork from your employer, and dates of phone calls. If this goes to appeal you'll need a paper trail.

I work in HR and see this from the employer side. Most companies don't contest claims unless they have solid evidence of misconduct. But some employers do try to game the system to keep their UI rates low. If you were truly laid off, you should win this easily.

Check your email and SecureAccess Washington account daily. Sometimes they send requests for information with short deadlines and if you miss them it can hurt your case.

Update on that Claimyr service I mentioned - I used it again last week to check on a different issue and got through to Washington ESD in like 15 minutes. Way better than the 3+ hour wait times I was getting when calling directly.

stay strong! This is just another hoop they make us jump through. I had my employer contest my claim too and I was so worried but ended up winning. The truth usually comes out during the investigation.

One thing to remember is that even if they find some minor misconduct, it has to be 'willful' to disqualify you from benefits. Simple mistakes or poor performance usually don't count as willful misconduct under Washington law.

The waiting is the worst part. I kept checking my account every hour when I was going through adjudication. Try to stay busy and not obsess over it too much.

Make sure you're doing your job search activities too even while the adjudication is pending. You'll need to show you were looking for work for those weeks if you win your case.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My employer is claiming I was fired for being late too many times when I was actually laid off because they lost a major contract. It's so frustrating that they can just lie like this.

The good news is that if you win, you'll get all the back pay from when you first filed. So even though this delay sucks, you won't lose any money in the long run if you're approved.

One more tip - if they schedule a phone interview, make sure you answer when they call. They sometimes only try once and if you miss it, it can delay your case even more. Keep your phone nearby during business hours.

This thread has been really helpful. I didn't realize employers contested claims so often. Makes me worried about my own situation since I was let go during 'restructuring' but it was pretty obvious they were getting rid of older employees.