Can you get Washington ESD unemployment for poor performance issues?

Generally speaking, poor performance alone doesn't disqualify you from unemployment benefits in Washington. The key distinction is between misconduct (which can disqualify you) and simply not meeting performance standards. If you were genuinely trying to do your job but just couldn't meet their expectations, that's typically not considered misconduct under Washington ESD rules.

I got fired for poor performance at a warehouse job last year and still got my unemployment approved. The employer tried to fight it but Washington ESD ruled in my favor because I wasn't doing anything intentionally wrong, just couldn't keep up with their pace requirements.

You should start documenting everything now. Keep copies of any performance reviews, coaching notes, or improvement plans they give you. If they do fire you and your claim gets denied, you'll need evidence for an appeal that shows you were making good faith efforts to meet their standards.

Just went through this nightmare trying to reach Washington ESD about a similar situation. Spent hours on hold getting nowhere until I found Claimyr (claimyr.com). They actually got me through to an agent who explained exactly how performance vs misconduct works. There's even a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Worth checking out if you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about your specific situation.

The employer has to prove misconduct, not just poor performance. Misconduct means things like stealing, fighting, being drunk at work, or deliberately violating clear company policies. Not hitting sales targets usually doesn't count unless you were obviously not trying at all.

ugh this happened to my friend and the whole process was so stressful. even though she eventually got approved it took forever because her employer fought it

Washington ESD usually sides with the employee on performance issues unless there's clear evidence of willful misconduct. I've seen people get benefits even when they were legitimately bad at their jobs, as long as they were trying and not being deliberately problematic.

The system is so messed up though. Employers document everything now to try to deny benefits even for honest workers who just struggle with unrealistic expectations.

Had this exact situation at a call center job. Got fired for low customer satisfaction scores but still got my unemployment because I was following all the scripts and procedures they taught me. The hearing officer said not being naturally good at sales isn't misconduct.

Whatever you do, don't quit before they fire you! If you quit you might not get benefits at all, but if they fire you for performance you'll probably be fine as long as it wasn't willful misconduct.

I tried calling Washington ESD about this same question last month and could never get through. Finally used that Claimyr thing someone mentioned here and actually got to talk to a real person who walked me through the whole misconduct vs performance distinction. Made the whole process way less scary.

Been through this twice unfortunately. First time I got denied initially but won on appeal. Second time got approved immediately because I had better documentation. The key is showing you were making good faith efforts to meet their standards.

honestly the whole unemployment system favors employees on stuff like this which is good because most performance issues are really about unrealistic employer expectations anyway

The misconduct bar is actually pretty high in Washington. I've seen people get benefits even after being written up multiple times for performance issues. As long as you weren't stealing, fighting, or doing something obviously against company policy, you're probably okay.

Just make sure you apply for benefits immediately after you get fired. Don't wait thinking you might not qualify. Let Washington ESD make that determination and appeal if they deny you initially.

Used Claimyr when I needed to check on my claim status after a performance-related termination. The agent I talked to confirmed that Washington ESD rarely considers poor performance alone as disqualifying misconduct. Really put my mind at ease during a stressful time.

Bottom line is that being bad at your job isn't the same as misconduct. If you were showing up, following rules, and trying to do the work, you should qualify for benefits even if you couldn't meet their performance standards.

Keep your chin up. Performance issues happen to good people all the time, especially when employers set unrealistic expectations. The unemployment system recognizes this difference.

I went through something very similar at my previous job in food service. They were constantly critiquing my speed and efficiency, saying I wasn't keeping up with their standards. When they finally let me go, I was terrified I wouldn't get unemployment benefits. But Washington ESD approved my claim without any issues because I could show I was following all their procedures and trying my best to improve. The key thing that helped me was keeping records of all the training sessions I attended and the feedback meetings where I was asking questions about how to do better. Even though I wasn't great at the job, I was clearly making good faith efforts to meet their expectations, which is what matters for unemployment eligibility. Don't let them pressure you into quitting - make them fire you if that's what they're planning to do.