Can you collect unemployment if you are fired - Washington ESD eligibility question

You can definitely apply for unemployment even if you were fired! Washington ESD doesn't automatically disqualify you just because you were terminated. The key question is whether you were fired for 'misconduct connected with work.' Performance issues usually don't count as misconduct unless they involve willful violations of company policy.

Yes, you can definitely collect unemployment if you were fired in most cases. Washington ESD distinguishes between being fired for misconduct vs. being fired for performance or other non-misconduct reasons. If it was truly performance-related and not willful misconduct, you should be eligible for benefits.

You should file your claim right away even if you're not sure about eligibility. Washington ESD will investigate and make the determination. When you file, be honest about the reason for separation but focus on the facts. Don't admit to any wrongdoing if you don't believe you did anything wrong.

Yes, you can absolutely apply for unemployment benefits even if you were fired! Being terminated doesn't automatically disqualify you from Washington ESD benefits. The key question is whether you were fired for 'misconduct' or not. Performance issues generally don't count as misconduct unless there was willful negligence or deliberate violations of company policy.

You can definitely still qualify for unemployment even if you were fired, as long as it wasn't for misconduct. Performance issues usually don't count as misconduct under Washington ESD rules. The key is whether you were fired for something deliberate and work-related that violated company policy, or just because you couldn't meet their standards.

File your claim ASAP regardless. Washington ESD will investigate and make the determination about whether you're eligible. Even if your employer contests it, you might still win. I was fired for "attitude problems" and still got approved after they did their investigation.

File your claim ASAP! Even if your employer contests it, you should still apply right away. Washington ESD will investigate and make a determination. If they fired you for performance reasons without progressive discipline, you'll likely qualify for benefits.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr when I got fired last year. Couldn't get through to Washington ESD to ask questions like this and was stressing about whether to even file. Their service connected me to an actual ESD agent who explained the whole misconduct vs performance thing over the phone. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works.

I was in a similar situation last year - got fired for 'attitude problems' which was basically my supervisor not liking me. I was stressed about calling Washington ESD because their phone lines are always busy, but I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really saved me hours of redialing!

I had a similar situation last year and had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on my claim status. If you run into issues reaching them by phone, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really saved me hours of calling.

DOCUMENT EVERYTHING! Save any emails, performance reviews, text messages about the unsafe conditions you reported. If this goes to adjudication or appeal, you'll need proof that the firing was retaliatory rather than for legitimate misconduct.

been fired twice and collected both times no problem. washington esd doesnt really care unless you stole something or got arrested at work lol

ugh the whole system is so confusing!!! I got fired 6 months ago and STILL don't understand why some people get approved and others don't. seems totally random to me. but yeah definitely file anyway because you never know

I was in a similar situation last year. Got fired for 'attitude problems' but it was really because I complained about overtime violations. Washington ESD approved my claim after about 3 weeks of adjudication. The employer tried to fight it but I had documentation of the issues I raised.

Just went through this exact situation with getting my Washington ESD claim approved after being fired. The phone lines are absolutely insane right now though - I must have called 200+ times over two weeks trying to get through to explain my situation. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real Washington ESD agent in like 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Game changer for actually talking to someone about your claim.

The system is so confusing! I got fired 6 months ago and still don't understand half of what happened during my adjudication. They kept asking about 'willful misconduct' but never clearly explained what that meant in my situation.

Performance firing ≠ automatic disqualification. I see this question every week and people always assume they can't get UI if they're fired. Washington ESD looks at WHY you were fired, not just that you were fired.

The key thing is how your employer reports the termination to Washington ESD. They'll send a separation notice that explains their version of events. You'll have a chance to respond if they claim it was misconduct. Make sure you keep any documentation about your performance reviews, emails, etc.

I was terminated for 'insubordination' last month but it was really just me questioning unsafe practices. Still waiting on my adjudication decision. The waiting is killing me financially.

The general rule in Washington is that you qualify unless you were fired for gross misconduct - things like theft, violence, showing up drunk, deliberately violating safety rules, etc. Performance issues, personality conflicts, or even minor policy violations usually don't disqualify you. Your employer has to prove misconduct, not just that they had a reason to fire you.

Don't let your employer intimidate you into not filing! Some employers will tell terminated employees they won't qualify for UI just to discourage them from applying. File anyway and let Washington ESD make the determination.

Quick tip - when you file your initial claim, be honest about being fired but don't elaborate too much in the online form. Just state the basic facts. You'll have a chance to explain your side during the adjudication process if your employer contests it.

File your claim immediately! Don't wait thinking you're not eligible. Washington ESD will investigate and make the determination. Even if your employer contests it, you might still win. I've seen plenty of cases where people fired for 'performance' got approved because there was no actual misconduct involved.

Make sure you have your side of the story ready when you file. Washington ESD will contact both you and your employer to get details. Be honest about what happened but emphasize that you were trying your best and weren't deliberately violating any rules.

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Filed my claim two weeks ago and it's still in adjudication. The waiting is killing me because I have rent due next week.

The whole adjudication process is nerve-wracking but don't give up! I was fired for 'poor customer service' which was really just me not wanting to lie to customers about our defective products. Took 4 weeks but I eventually got approved.

Washington ESD's phone system is absolutely terrible but don't let that stop you from getting help if you need it. There are ways to get through if you're persistent or use services like that Claimyr thing people mentioned.

If your claim goes into adjudication, don't panic. That's normal when there's any question about why you were separated. Washington ESD will contact both you and your employer to get the facts. Be responsive if they request information and always tell the truth.

File immediately! Even if there's going to be an adjudication, you want to get your claim in the system as soon as possible. The effective date of your claim is when you file, not when it gets approved.

got fired for being late too many times but honestly it was because my car kept breaking down and i couldnt afford to fix it. still got approved for unemployment because they said my transportation issues weren't misconduct

omg this is giving me anxiety just reading it... I'm so scared about getting fired from my job too. What if they make up some BS reason like performance when it's really retaliation? How do you even prove that to Washington ESD??

honestly the worst they can do is say no right? and if you don't file you definitely won't get anything. I always tell people to file first and ask questions later when it comes to unemployment

One more thing to remember - if your employer does contest your claim and it goes to adjudication, don't panic. The adjudicator will look at all the facts from both sides. Being fired for performance or even policy violations doesn't automatically mean misconduct under Washington ESD rules.

The key is that Washington ESD distinguishes between being fired for incompetence versus being fired for misconduct. Incompetence or poor performance usually won't disqualify you, but deliberate rule violations might.

Just make sure you're doing your job search requirements while you wait. Even if your claim is pending, you still need to be looking for work and logging it in WorkSourceWA.

The Washington ESD system is SO broken when it comes to this stuff. They side with employers way too often IMO. I got denied initially when I was fired for 'insubordination' which was really just me refusing to work in unsafe conditions. Had to appeal and it took MONTHS to get resolved.

File online at esd.wa.gov as soon as possible. The sooner you file, the sooner your benefit year starts. Even if there's an adjudication delay, your benefits will be backdated to when you first filed if you're approved.

Washington ESD is actually pretty reasonable about this stuff compared to some other states. I've seen people get approved even when their employer fought it pretty hard. The burden of proof is on the employer to show actual misconduct.

Just remember you'll need to do the job search requirements too once you start getting benefits. Keep track of all your job applications because Washington ESD can audit that stuff.

I work in HR and I can tell you that most performance-based terminations don't result in misconduct findings by Washington ESD. Employers often contest claims anyway, but the adjudication process usually favors the employee in borderline cases.

Had a similar situation at my retail job - they said I wasn't "meeting expectations" but never gave me specific targets or training. Filed for unemployment and got it no problem. Performance issues are way different than misconduct in Washington ESD's eyes.

WASHINGTON ESD IS SO SLOW WITH EVERYTHING. I've been waiting 3 months for them to resolve my overpayment issue. The whole system is broken and they don't care about people who actually need help.

For what it's worth, I was fired from my retail job for 'attitude problems' (basically my manager didn't like me) and I got approved for benefits with no issues. Took about 10 days for them to make a decision.

I used Claimyr too when I couldn't get through to check on my adjudication status. Worked great - got connected to someone at Washington ESD within a few minutes instead of calling for hours. They helped me understand what documents I needed to submit.

One thing to watch out for - if you're denied initially, don't give up. You can appeal the decision. I was wrongly denied at first but won my appeal hearing.

i got fired for being late too many times and still got unemployment. they said it wasnt misconduct just poor attendance. depends on the situation i guess

The most important thing is to file your weekly claims every week even while your initial claim is being adjudicated. If you're approved, you'll get back pay for all those weeks, but only if you filed the claims.

Another vote for Claimyr here. I was having issues with my employer disputing my claim and needed to talk to someone at Washington ESD urgently. Normal calling wasn't working at all, but Claimyr got me through same day. Really helped me get the situation resolved quickly.

Make sure when you file that you list the separation reason exactly as it was explained to you. Don't try to sugar coat it or make it sound better - Washington ESD will get the employer's version anyway and inconsistencies will hurt your case.

Bottom line - being fired doesn't automatically disqualify you from unemployment. The vast majority of people who are fired for performance reasons get approved. Just be honest in your application and respond promptly to any requests for information.

Just want to echo what others said about filing right away. I waited 2 weeks after getting fired because I thought I wouldn't qualify, and I regret losing those benefit weeks. File first, ask questions later!

washington esd website has good info about misconduct vs non-misconduct terminations if you want to read up on it. basically if you were trying to do your job but just weren't good enough, that's not misconduct

Update on that Claimyr service I mentioned - I used them again last week to check on a different issue and they're still working great. Really worth it if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD without spending hours on hold.

Remember that your employer has to prove misconduct if they want to contest your claim. The burden of proof is on them, not you. You just need to tell your side of the story honestly.

totally depends on the reason tbh. misconduct = no benefits. performance issues = probably get benefits. sounds like yours wasnt misconduct so you should be good

Just to clarify the misconduct standard in Washington - it has to be willful or wanton disregard of the employer's interests. Simply being bad at your job or having disagreements about procedures doesn't meet that standard. Advocating for safety definitely doesn't.

I was denied initially when fired but used that Claimyr service someone mentioned to get through to Washington ESD and explain my situation better. The agent was able to see additional details in my file and reopened my claim for review. Ended up getting approved after all.

same thing happened to my brother last month - fired for 'performance' but really because he reported wage theft. washington esd approved his claim no problem once they investigated

One thing to keep in mind - your employer will get a notice when you file and they can contest it. They'll have to provide their side of the story about why you were fired. Don't let that scare you though, just be honest about what happened.

File ASAP because there's a waiting period anyway and you want to get your claim date established. Even if it goes to adjudication, you can get benefits backdated to when you first filed if you're approved.

Just wanted to add that you should start looking for work right away too even while your claim is being processed. Washington ESD requires active job search and you need to be able to document that you're available and actively seeking work.

honestly the whole system is designed to discourage people from filing. dont let them intimidate you into not applying when you have every right to benefits

Update on that Claimyr thing I mentioned - just used it again yesterday to check on a different issue with my weekly claim. Still works great for actually getting through to Washington ESD when you need to talk to someone. Way better than the regular phone system.

My advice is file immediately and don't overthink it. Worst case they deny you and you can appeal. Best case you get approved right away. But you definitely can't get benefits if you don't apply!

One more tip - when you file, be very factual and specific about what happened. Don't get emotional or accusatory in your description, just stick to the facts about the safety concerns you raised and how the termination happened.

good luck with your claim! sounds like you have a solid case based on what everyone here is saying. dont let the employer scare you out of filing

Just remember to file your weekly claims on time even while it's under review. You don't want to miss out on benefits because of a technicality once you get approved.

Another option if you can't get through to Washington ESD directly is using something like Claimyr. I heard about it from someone else on here and it actually worked when I needed to talk to an agent about my eligibility question. Sometimes it's worth paying a little to get real answers instead of guessing.

Bottom line - being fired doesn't automatically disqualify you from unemployment in Washington. File your claim, be honest about what happened, and let Washington ESD make the determination. Most performance-related firings result in approved claims.