Can you get unemployment if you quit Washington ESD benefits eligibility

What counts as good cause? Is a hostile work environment enough?

Hostile work environment can qualify but you need documentation. Emails, witness statements, complaints to HR - anything that shows you tried to resolve it first.

What was your reason if you don't mind me asking? I'm in a similar situation.

Unsafe working conditions. I had photos and incident reports that I filed with my supervisor. Took about 3 weeks for Washington ESD to approve my claim after the adjudication.

How do you document harassment if it's mostly verbal and happens when no one else is around?

Keep a detailed log with dates, times, what was said. Report it to HR or management in writing so there's a paper trail. Even if they don't act on it, you'll have proof you tried to address it through proper channels.

This is really important advice. I tried to get benefits after quitting due to harassment but had no documentation and got denied. Had to appeal and it was a nightmare.

Is that service free? I've never heard of it before.

It's not free but honestly worth it when you consider how much time you save not sitting on hold. Check out claimyr.com for more info.

I was skeptical about paying for something like this but it actually worked. Got through to Washington ESD in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own.

How long does the appeals process usually take?

Mine took about 6 weeks from filing the appeal to getting a hearing scheduled. Then another 2 weeks for the decision. That's a long time to go without income.

Ugh the adjudication process is the worst. Mine took 5 weeks and they never even told me what they were reviewing.

During adjudication they're usually contacting your former employer to get their side of the story. That's why it takes so long - they have to give the employer time to respond.

That's interesting, I didn't know they had categories like that. How much did your hours have to be cut?

I went from 35-40 hours a week to 8-12 hours. The Washington ESD rep said anything below 20 hours when you were previously full-time can be considered constructive dismissal if there's no business reason for it.

Significant schedule changes can qualify as good cause, especially if you have childcare issues that make the new schedule impossible. Document your childcare situation and any attempts to work out an alternative with your employer.

Thanks, I'll start documenting everything now before I make any decisions.

Did you end up getting approved?

Yes but it took 4 weeks of adjudication and I had to provide like 15 different documents. Emails, photos, witness statements, medical records - they wanted everything.

That's actually not a bad idea. Getting laid off is way easier for unemployment benefits than trying to prove good cause for quitting.

My friend did this - talked to her manager about the situation and they agreed to let her go with a layoff instead of forcing her to quit. Much easier process with Washington ESD.

What's the difference? I'm confused about the terminology.

Good cause connected to work means the employer did something wrong - harassment, unsafe conditions, etc. Good cause not connected to work is usually things like domestic violence or major illness. The first one can get you unemployment, the second usually can't unless it's very specific circumstances.

How does that work exactly? Do they just call for you?

Yeah basically they handle the calling and waiting on hold, then connect you when they get an agent. Way better than sitting there for hours listening to that awful hold music.

Good point, I hadn't thought about the ongoing requirements.

Yeah you have to log 3 job search activities per week and be ready to take suitable work. Just because you qualified initially doesn't mean you can slack off on the requirements.

This is excellent advice. Many employment lawyers will do a free consultation and can tell you if you have a case or at least what documentation you need.

Thanks everyone, this has been really helpful. I'm going to start documenting everything and see if I can resolve this before making any hasty decisions.

So true. I had a slam dunk case with my supervisor sexually harassing me and it still took 6 weeks and an appeal to get approved.

That's awful but unfortunately not surprising. Washington ESD seems to assume everyone is trying to game the system.

That makes sense. Transparency is probably better than trying to avoid the topic.

Exactly. They're going to find out anyway when they contact your employer, so you might as well control the narrative from the start.