Can u draw unemployment if u get fired - Washington ESD rules?

what counts as misconduct exactly? i was just struggling with some of the tasks but i was trying my best

Misconduct has to be willful - like stealing, being consistently late, insubordination, etc. Struggling with job performance usually isn't misconduct unless you were deliberately not doing your work.

already filed yesterday actually, just worried about whether ill get approved or not

good! now you just gotta wait for them to do their thing. might take a few weeks

i do have some emails from my supervisor about training and stuff, should i gather all that up?

Absolutely! Any documentation that shows you were receiving guidance rather than disciplinary action will help your case.

this is so stressful, i hate that they can just fire you and then fight your unemployment claim too

never heard of that before, does it actually work?

Yeah it worked for me! I was able to talk to someone about my adjudication status instead of just sitting there wondering what was happening.

sounds too good to be true but honestly anything is better than trying to call ESD directly these days

totally agree, like why should we have to prove we deserve help when we just lost our jobs

The system exists to prevent fraud, but I agree it can be frustrating for legitimate claimants.

Attendance issues can be tricky. If you had legitimate medical reasons but didn't properly document them or request accommodations, ESD might still consider it misconduct. You should definitely explain your medical situation when they contact you.

great now im even more worried about my claim

at least you filed though, thats the important thing

6 weeks?? how did you survive that long without any money coming in?

Had to borrow money from family and use credit cards. It was rough but I did eventually get all the back pay once they approved my claim.

this is exactly why i used that claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier, couldnt handle the uncertainty

thats somewhat reassuring i guess

yeah just be honest about everything when they contact you and provide any documentation you have

good point, i should probably start looking right away anyway

Exactly! Plus it shows good faith if there are any questions about your eligibility.

how many jobs do you have to apply to each week?

I think it's 3 job search activities per week but check the current requirements on the ESD website.

sorry! didnt mean to stress anyone else out

no its good to know what to expect, just nerve wracking

how long does the appeal process take?

From what I heard it can be a few months, but I'm not 100% sure on the timeline.

Appeals can take 8-12 weeks typically, sometimes longer depending on the complexity of the case.

but then you probably couldnt get unemployment at all right?

yeah true, unless you quit for good cause which is hard to prove

lol im already doing that and its only been a few days

I feel you! The uncertainty is brutal when you need that money to survive.

this is why i ended up trying that claimyr service too, needed to actually talk to someone instead of just staring at my account

thats kind of scary, like they think were all liars or something

I think they just have to be thorough because of fraud issues. Just stick to the truth and you'll be fine.

Yes, they're legally different. Poor performance means you couldn't do the job adequately despite trying. Misconduct means you willfully violated company policies or acted inappropriately. The burden of proof is on the employer to show misconduct.

ok that makes sense, thanks for clarifying

that gives me some hope! was it a big company or small business?

Medium sized company, maybe 200 employees. I think smaller companies are more likely to fight claims because they care more about their unemployment tax rates.

yeah my friend got fired from a tiny company and they fought everything tooth and nail

good point, i did pay into this system for years

exactly! unemployment insurance isnt charity, its something we all contribute to

seems like multiple people have had success with that, might be worth trying if i need to talk to someone

yeah anything is better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected

thanks everyone for all the advice and support, really helps to know other people have been through this

keep us updated on how it goes!

yeah i was definitely fired not laid off, they made that pretty clear unfortunately

That's fine, just be clear about the circumstances when they ask. Fired for performance issues is very different from fired for misconduct.