Can you claim unemployment if you get fired - Washington ESD eligibility question
Got terminated from my job last Friday and wondering if I can still file for unemployment benefits through Washington ESD? My supervisor said it was due to 'performance issues' but I think it was really because I questioned some of their questionable business practices. Does getting fired automatically disqualify you from getting UI benefits in Washington? I've been working there for 2 years and never had any write-ups before this.
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PrinceJoe
You can absolutely file for unemployment even if you were fired - it depends on the reason. Washington ESD looks at whether you were terminated for 'misconduct' or not. Performance issues usually don't count as misconduct unless it was willful or intentional. File your claim right away and let them make the determination.
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Ella Harper
•That's a relief to hear. Should I mention the part about questioning their practices or just stick to what they told me?
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PrinceJoe
•Be honest but factual. Focus on what actually happened rather than speculation about their motives.
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Brooklyn Knight
same thing happened to me - got fired for 'attitude problems' but still got approved for benefits. took about 3 weeks though because they had to do an adjudication to review everything
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Ella Harper
•Did you have to provide any documentation or just wait for them to contact your employer?
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Brooklyn Knight
•they contacted my old job directly, I didn't have to do anything except wait
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Owen Devar
I was struggling with the same question after getting let go. Couldn't get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my situation. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. The agent was able to explain exactly what I needed to know about my termination and eligibility.
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Daniel Rivera
•How much does that cost? I've been trying to call for days but can never get through.
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Owen Devar
•It's worth it for the peace of mind. Much easier than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected.
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Ella Harper
•I'll check that out if I can't get through the regular way. Thanks for sharing!
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Sophie Footman
Here's what Washington ESD considers misconduct: theft, violence, criminal activity, willful violation of company policy, or gross negligence. Performance issues or personality conflicts usually don't qualify as misconduct. You should be fine but they'll investigate by contacting your former employer.
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Ella Harper
•That's exactly what I needed to know. Performance issues seems to be what they're claiming so I should be okay.
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Connor Rupert
•But what if they claim it was insubordination? That seems more serious than just performance.
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Sophie Footman
•Insubordination has to be proven and it has to be willful refusal to follow reasonable instructions. Questioning business practices isn't the same thing.
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Molly Hansen
UGH this system is so frustrating! They make you jump through hoops just to get benefits you paid into. I got fired for being 'difficult' but apparently that's not misconduct either. Still took them FOREVER to approve my claim.
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Ella Harper
•How long did it take for you to get approved?
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Molly Hansen
•About 5 weeks total. They had to do the whole adjudication process and interview both me and my ex-boss.
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PrinceJoe
•That's about normal for disputed claims. They have to be thorough to make sure they make the right decision.
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Brady Clean
yeah you can file just don't expect it to be easy
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Ella Harper
•What do you mean by not easy? The application process or getting approved?
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Brady Clean
•both honestly. lots of paperwork and waiting around
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PrinceJoe
Important reminder - file your claim within the first week after losing your job. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file, so don't wait around trying to figure out if you're eligible. Let Washington ESD make that determination.
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Ella Harper
•Good point. I was planning to wait until Monday but I'll file today instead.
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Skylar Neal
•Definitely file right away. I waited two weeks thinking I might find another job quickly and lost out on those benefits.
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Vincent Bimbach
My brother got fired for attendance issues last year and still got unemployment. Washington ESD said as long as it wasn't willful misconduct he was eligible. Sounds like your situation is similar - performance issues aren't usually misconduct.
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Ella Harper
•That's encouraging. Did he have to appeal or did they approve him right away?
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Vincent Bimbach
•took about a month for them to review everything but he got approved without having to appeal
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Owen Devar
Just want to follow up on the Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - I used them again this week to check on my claim status and it was super quick to get connected. Way better than sitting on hold for hours or trying to navigate their website.
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Kelsey Chin
•How does it actually work? Do they just call for you or what?
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Owen Devar
•They have a way to get you connected directly to an agent without the usual wait times. Check out their demo video to see how it works.
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Norah Quay
Filed after getting fired for 'not being a good fit' - whatever that means. Got approved after they investigated. The key is being honest about what happened and not trying to hide anything from Washington ESD.
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Ella Harper
•That's basically what happened to me. They said performance issues but I think it was really because I spoke up about some things.
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Norah Quay
•Yeah, employers often use vague terms like that to avoid saying they fired you for no good reason. Usually works in your favor for unemployment.
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Leo McDonald
I got fired from my last job for supposedly being late too much but I was only late because of my kids' school schedule. Still got unemployment because they said it wasn't willful misconduct. Everyone told me I wouldn't qualify but I did.
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Ella Harper
•That's good to know. I was worried that any firing would automatically disqualify me.
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Jessica Nolan
•Nope, they really do look at the specific circumstances. It's not just a blanket 'fired = no benefits' rule.
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Angelina Farar
Been through this process twice unfortunately. First time I got denied because they said I was fired for misconduct (I wasn't) but I appealed and won. Second time I got approved right away. It really depends on how your employer reports the termination to Washington ESD.
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Ella Harper
•What happens if they lie about why they fired you?
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Angelina Farar
•That's what the adjudication process is for. They interview both sides and look at the facts. If you have documentation that contradicts their story, bring it up.
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Sophie Footman
•Exactly. Employers sometimes exaggerate or mischaracterize terminations, but Washington ESD investigators are pretty good at getting to the truth.
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Sebastián Stevens
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't get unemployment if you're fired. That's not true at all. File your claim and let the system work. Worst case scenario they say no and you appeal.
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Ella Harper
•How hard is the appeal process if they initially deny you?
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Sebastián Stevens
•Not too bad. You get a hearing where you can explain your side of the story. I've seen people win appeals even when the initial decision went against them.
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Bethany Groves
washington esd is pretty fair about this stuff in my experience. they don't just automatically deny everyone who got fired like some people think
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Ella Harper
•That's reassuring. I've heard horror stories but maybe those are just the exceptions.
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Bethany Groves
•yeah people mostly complain when things go wrong. when everything works fine nobody talks about it
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KingKongZilla
I used Claimyr too after seeing it mentioned here. Really helped me get answers about my claim when I couldn't get through the regular phone lines. Definitely recommend it if you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD quickly.
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Ella Harper
•I might need to try that if I run into issues with my claim. Good to know it actually works.
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Rebecca Johnston
•Same here - used them when my claim got stuck in adjudication. Agent was able to explain exactly what was happening and when I could expect a decision.
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