Can unemployment be denied if you are fired from your job in Washington

Not necessarily! It depends on WHY you were fired. If it was for misconduct, then yes, you'll likely be disqualified. But if it was for poor performance, inability to do the job, or other non-misconduct reasons, you should still qualify. Washington ESD will investigate and make a determination.

You should definitely apply anyway. The worst they can do is deny you, but you might be surprised. I got fired from my warehouse job for missing too many days (I was sick a lot) and I still got approved for benefits.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I needed to check on my adjudication status after being fired. Kept getting busy signals and disconnected calls. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Might be worth checking out if you run into phone issues.

The key thing is to be completely honest on your application. Don't try to hide that you were fired - they'll find out anyway when they contact your employer. Explain your side of the story clearly and provide any documentation you have.

ugh this system is so confusing. I got fired from my last job too and had to wait FOREVER for them to decide if I qualified. It's like they assume everyone who gets fired did something terrible.

Here's what Washington ESD looks for when determining misconduct: was the behavior willful, did it violate a known policy, was it detrimental to the employer's interests. Simple tardiness usually doesn't meet this standard unless it was chronic and you ignored warnings.

I work in HR and see this all the time. Most terminations for attendance issues don't rise to the level of misconduct unless there was job abandonment or deliberate no-shows. Performance issues are almost never considered misconduct.

Just apply! You're overthinking this. The whole point of unemployment insurance is to help people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. If your employer fired you for petty reasons, that's on them.

One more thing - if you do get denied initially, don't give up! You have the right to appeal and request a hearing. I've seen people win on appeal even after being denied initially. The hearing process gives you a chance to tell your side of the story in detail.

Does anyone know if having a union rep help during the adjudication process? I'm part of a retail workers union but not sure if they get involved with unemployment stuff.

Something to keep in mind - even if you get approved, your former employer might appeal the decision. That can delay your benefits while they sort it out. Mine did that and it added another 2 weeks to the process.

I got denied initially when I was fired for attendance but won on appeal. The key was showing that my absences were due to a medical condition that my employer knew about. Context matters a lot in these cases.

Also remember that you need to keep filing your weekly claims even during adjudication. If you're eventually approved, you'll get back pay for those weeks. But if you don't file, you lose those weeks permanently.

The system is set up to be intimidating but don't let that scare you off. Washington ESD wants to make sure benefits go to people who deserve them, but they're not trying to trick you or deny valid claims. Just be honest and thorough in your application.

If you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD during this process and can't get through on the phone, I used a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an agent when I was having adjudication issues. Really helped speed things up for me.

Been through this twice - once denied, once approved. The difference was in how I presented the facts. First time I was too defensive and emotional. Second time I just laid out what happened objectively and got approved.

Quick question - do they contact your employer right away or wait until after you file your first weekly claim?

Whatever you do, don't let your former employer intimidate you out of applying. Some companies try to scare fired employees into not filing. You have every right to apply and let Washington ESD make the determination.

Just want to add that even if you get disqualified initially, it's not necessarily permanent. If you can show that you've addressed whatever led to your termination, you might qualify for benefits from a future job. Don't let one bad experience define your whole unemployment experience.

Update us on how it goes! I'm sure others in similar situations would benefit from hearing about your experience with the process.