Can you apply for Washington ESD unemployment if fired from your job?

Yes, you can absolutely apply for unemployment benefits even if you were fired! The key thing Washington ESD looks at is whether you were fired for 'misconduct' or not. Performance issues usually don't count as misconduct unless it was willful or you were repeatedly warned and ignored the warnings. You should definitely file your claim right away - don't wait.

I was in a similar situation last year. Got fired from my warehouse job and was able to get unemployment. The whole process took about 3 weeks because they had to investigate but I did get approved. File online at esd.wa.gov as soon as possible.

Definitely apply! I've helped several people navigate this and being fired doesn't automatically disqualify you from UI benefits. Washington ESD has to determine if the firing was for misconduct connected to work. Things like poor performance, inability to do the job, or personality conflicts usually don't count as disqualifying misconduct. However, if you were fired for things like theft, violence, or repeatedly refusing to follow reasonable work rules, that would likely disqualify you.

I had such a hard time getting through to Washington ESD when I needed to check on my claim status after being fired. Spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual person at Washington ESD. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration.

ugh this is bringing back bad memories of when I got fired and had to deal with the unemployment system. such a nightmare

One important thing to remember - when you file your claim, you'll need to provide details about your last day of work, your employer's information, and the reason for separation. Be as accurate as possible because Washington ESD will verify this information with your employer.

The Washington ESD website has a whole section about misconduct vs non-misconduct separations. Basically, if you were fired for reasons beyond your control or for non-willful poor performance, you should be eligible. The burden is on the employer to prove misconduct occurred.

I thought unemployment was only for people who got laid off through no fault of their own. If you can get it when you're fired too then what's the point of having good employees?

File your claim ASAP! There's a waiting period before benefits start, so the sooner you apply the better. Don't let anyone tell you that being fired automatically disqualifies you - that's not true in Washington state.

Also make sure you start doing your job search activities right away. Washington ESD requires you to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log of your activities.

Just went through this whole process myself after getting fired from my office job. The key thing is being honest about what happened and not trying to sugarcoat anything. Washington ESD will figure out the truth anyway when they contact your employer during adjudication.

Another thing about Claimyr - I used them when I needed to talk to someone about my adjudication taking forever. Way better than sitting on hold for hours or getting hung up on. Really wish I had known about it sooner.

Been working in HR for years and I can tell you that most performance-based terminations don't result in unemployment denials. Employers often don't even bother contesting claims unless there was clear misconduct like theft or safety violations.

whatever you do dont wait to file thinking you wont qualify. i made that mistake and lost out on 2 weeks of benefits i could have gotten

I've seen people get approved for unemployment after being fired for all sorts of performance issues - not meeting quotas, attendance problems, personality conflicts with management. As long as it wasn't willful misconduct you should be fine.

Make sure when you file that you accurately describe the reason for separation. Don't say you were laid off if you were actually fired - Washington ESD will find out and it could cause problems with your claim.

The whole misconduct thing is pretty specific in Washington. It has to be connected to work and be willful or wanton disregard of employer interests. Poor performance usually doesn't meet that standard unless you were deliberately doing bad work.

had to use claimyr last month when my claim got stuck in adjudication hell. actually got through to someone at washington esd within like 20 minutes instead of spending all day calling. worth checking out if you run into problems

Don't let your former employer intimidate you into not filing. I've heard of managers telling people they can't get unemployment if they were fired, but that's often not true. File your claim and let Washington ESD decide.

Bottom line - being fired doesn't automatically disqualify you from unemployment benefits in Washington. The circumstances matter. Performance issues, inability to do the job, and conflicts with management are usually not considered misconduct. File your claim and provide honest information about what happened.