Can you get unemployment if you quit your job in Washington?
I'm thinking about quitting my job because my manager has been making the workplace really hostile and I'm wondering if I'd still be eligible for Washington ESD unemployment benefits. I know usually you can't get UI if you quit voluntarily, but I've heard there are some exceptions. Does anyone know what the rules are in Washington? I really need to get out of this situation but I can't afford to be without income.
673 comments


Tony Brooks
It's possible but very difficult. Washington ESD requires you to prove you had 'good cause' for quitting. Things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or major changes to your job duties might qualify. Inconsistent scheduling alone probably won't cut it unless you can show it was a substantial change from when you were hired.
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Jade Lopez
•What kind of documentation would I need to prove good cause? I don't have anything in writing about the schedule changes.
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Tony Brooks
•You'd want emails, text messages, schedule printouts, anything showing the pattern. Also any communication where you tried to resolve the issue with management first.
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Diego Vargas
Generally no, but there are exceptions for 'good cause' reasons like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or substantial changes to your job. You'd need to document everything thoroughly before quitting.
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Chloe Anderson
•What kind of documentation would I need? I have some emails but not sure if that's enough.
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Diego Vargas
•Keep all emails, write down dates and details of incidents, get witness statements if possible. Washington ESD will review everything during adjudication.
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Alana Willis
Generally no, Washington ESD will deny your claim if you quit without what they call 'good cause.' You have to prove the reason you quit was beyond your control or that any reasonable person would have quit in your situation. It's a pretty high bar to meet.
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Justin Trejo
•What counts as good cause? Is a terrible manager enough?
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Alana Willis
•You'd need to document harassment, unsafe working conditions, or significant changes to your job that weren't agreed to. Just not liking your boss usually isn't enough.
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Daryl Bright
Yes, you can get unemployment after quitting but only if you have 'good cause' under Washington law. Good cause includes things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, discrimination, or significant changes to your job duties or pay. You'll need to document everything and be prepared to prove your case during adjudication.
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Natalie Khan
•What kind of documentation do I need? I have some emails about the harassment but not sure if that's enough.
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Daryl Bright
•Emails are great! Also keep any written complaints you filed, witness statements, medical records if stress affected your health, and document specific incidents with dates and times.
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Ella rollingthunder87
honestly just stay at the job and let them fire you if its that bad. way easier to get unemployment that way. i tried to quit for good cause once and it was a nightmare with all the paperwork
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Yara Campbell
•That's not great advice. If you stop performing your job duties intentionally to get fired, Washington ESD can still deny your claim for misconduct.
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Ella rollingthunder87
•fair point, didnt think about that
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Paolo Esposito
Generally you can't get unemployment if you quit voluntarily, but there are some exceptions in Washington. If you quit for 'good cause' like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job duties/pay, you might still qualify. You'll need to document everything and be prepared to prove your case during the adjudication process.
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Keisha Brown
•What kind of documentation would I need? I have some emails from my manager but not sure if that's enough.
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Paolo Esposito
•Keep all emails, text messages, witness statements from coworkers, any HR complaints you've filed, medical documentation if stress is affecting your health. The more evidence the better for your case.
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Amina Toure
I quit my job last year because of a hostile work environment and initially got denied for benefits. Had to appeal the decision and it took forever to get through to someone at Washington ESD to explain my situation properly.
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Keisha Brown
•How long did the appeal process take? And did you eventually get approved?
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Amina Toure
•Took about 6 weeks total. I did get approved but only after providing tons of documentation and having a phone interview. The hardest part was actually getting through to Washington ESD to schedule the interview.
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Sienna Gomez
I quit my job last year due to my supervisor's verbal abuse and got approved for unemployment. But it took forever - like 8 weeks in adjudication while they investigated. Washington ESD really scrutinizes voluntary quit cases.
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Natalie Khan
•8 weeks?? How did you survive financially during that time?
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Sienna Gomez
•Had to borrow money from family. It was rough but worth it in the end when they approved my claim.
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Isaac Wright
I successfully got benefits after quitting last year, but it took forever to get through to someone at Washington ESD to explain my situation. The phone system is awful - I probably called 200+ times before reaching a human. If you do decide to quit and file, I'd recommend checking out Claimyr.com to help you get through to an actual agent. They have this system that calls for you and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.
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Jade Lopez
•What was your reason for quitting that they accepted? And how long did the whole process take?
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Isaac Wright
•My supervisor was making inappropriate comments and HR wouldn't address it. I had documented everything with dates and witnesses. The whole process took about 6 weeks from filing to getting my first payment.
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Maya Diaz
•Never heard of Claimyr but might be worth it if it actually works. The Washington ESD phone lines are impossible.
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Mateo Hernandez
Yes, you can get unemployment after quitting in Washington but only if you have 'good cause' which is pretty specific. The main categories are unsafe working conditions, harassment, significant changes to your job duties or pay, or health issues. You'll need to document everything - emails, witnesses, medical records if health-related.
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NebulaNova
•What counts as harassment? My supervisor has been really verbally abusive and creates a hostile environment but I don't have it in writing.
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Mateo Hernandez
•Verbal abuse can count but you need witnesses or some kind of documentation. Start keeping a log of incidents with dates and details. If there are coworkers who witnessed it, get their statements.
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Liam Fitzgerald
Generally, Washington ESD will deny unemployment benefits if you quit without good cause. However, there are exceptions for what they call 'good cause' reasons like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or major changes to your job that weren't part of the original agreement. You'd need to prove your reason for quitting was compelling.
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Mei Lin
•What kind of documentation would I need to prove harassment? I don't have anything in writing but there have been witnesses.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•Witness statements can help, but you'd also want emails, texts, or any HR complaints you filed. The more documentation the better for your case.
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Carmen Sanchez
Generally speaking, if you quit your job voluntarily, Washington ESD will deny your unemployment claim initially. However, there are specific circumstances where you can quit and still qualify for benefits - it's called 'good cause' for leaving. Things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, significant changes to your job duties or hours, or domestic violence situations can qualify.
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Yuki Watanabe
•What counts as harassment though? My boss yells at people and plays favorites but I don't know if that's enough to qualify.
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Carmen Sanchez
•Workplace harassment that creates a hostile work environment can qualify, but you'll need to document everything - dates, witnesses, any HR complaints you filed. Washington ESD will investigate your claim thoroughly.
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Mateo Rodriguez
Generally Washington ESD doesn't approve unemployment for voluntary quits, but there are exceptions for 'good cause' situations. What you're describing with the hostile work environment and unpaid overtime demands might qualify. You'd need to document everything - keep emails, write down incidents with dates, maybe even record conversations if it's legal in Washington (it is with one-party consent).
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Nia Thompson
•I haven't been documenting much unfortunately. Should I start now even though I'm planning to quit soon?
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Absolutely start documenting now! Even a few weeks of documentation is better than none. Take photos of your schedule showing unpaid overtime, save any abusive emails or texts.
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Aisha Abdullah
I quit my job last year due to harassment and got approved for unemployment after an initial denial. Had to appeal but it worked out. The key is proving your employer created conditions that forced you to quit.
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Nia Thompson
•How long did the appeal process take? I'm worried about going weeks without any income.
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Aisha Abdullah
•Mine took about 6 weeks total, but that was during busy season. The hearing was actually pretty straightforward once I had all my documentation together.
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Max Reyes
You can potentially get unemployment if you quit for "good cause" in Washington. This includes things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, significant changes to your job duties, or other circumstances that would make a reasonable person quit. You'll need to document everything and be prepared to prove your case during adjudication.
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Felicity Bud
•What kind of documentation should I be collecting? I have some emails but not sure if that's enough.
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Max Reyes
•Save all emails, write down dates and details of incidents, get witness statements if possible, and document any complaints you made to HR or management. The more evidence you have, the better your chances.
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Oliver Weber
If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD about this, I recently discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helps you get through to actual agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on when I had questions about my claim status.
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Keisha Brown
•Is this like a paid service? How much does it cost?
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Oliver Weber
•I don't want to get into pricing details but it was worth it for me to avoid the frustration of calling all day. You can check their site for current rates.
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FireflyDreams
•Never heard of this before but might be worth trying if I need to talk to someone about my claim.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
If you're dealing with adjudication delays trying to reach Washington ESD, I found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent. They have this system that handles the calling for you - check out claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Saved me hours of calling.
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Abigail bergen
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already strapped for cash.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
•It's worth it when you consider how much time you'd spend calling otherwise. Plus they actually get results.
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Aisha Khan
I quit my job last year due to harassment and got approved for benefits. The key is you have to try to resolve the issue first - talk to HR, document your complaints, give your employer a chance to fix it. If they don't address it, then you have good cause to quit.
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NebulaNova
•How long did the whole process take? I'm worried about being without income while Washington ESD decides.
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Aisha Khan
•It took about 6 weeks from when I filed to when I got my first payment. There was an adjudication process where they interviewed me and my former employer.
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Tyler Murphy
I quit my job last year due to harassment and got approved after an appeal. You need LOTS of documentation though - emails, witness statements, anything that proves the situation was intolerable. Washington ESD initially denied me but I won at the hearing.
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Justin Trejo
•How long did the whole process take? I can't afford to be without income for months.
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Tyler Murphy
•About 8 weeks total. The initial decision took 3 weeks, then I had to wait another 5 weeks for my hearing date. It was stressful but worth it in the end.
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Andre Dupont
i quit my last job and got denied initially but then won my appeal. the key is you have to prove you had good cause and that you tried to resolve the issue first. like if theres harassment you need to show you reported it to HR or management before quitting
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Yuki Watanabe
•How long did the appeal process take? I'm worried about going without income for months.
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Andre Dupont
•took about 6 weeks total but i got backpay for all the weeks i was waiting
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Amara Nnamani
I quit my last job and got denied initially, but I appealed it and won. The key is showing that staying would have been unreasonable. Document everything if you're dealing with a hostile work environment.
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Mei Lin
•How long did the appeal process take? I'm worried about how I'll pay bills during that time.
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Amara Nnamani
•Mine took about 6 weeks total. You can't get benefits while the appeal is pending unfortunately.
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Luca Romano
Generally speaking, if you quit voluntarily, you won't qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington. The basic rule is that you need to be unemployed through no fault of your own. However, there are some exceptions for what's called 'good cause' - like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job that weren't part of your original agreement.
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Zara Rashid
•What exactly counts as 'good cause'? My supervisor has been making my life miserable but I'm not sure if that would qualify.
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Nia Jackson
•Harassment definitely can qualify as good cause, but you need to document everything and usually try to resolve it through your employer first.
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Liam Duke
Generally speaking, if you quit voluntarily, Washington ESD will disqualify you from receiving UI benefits. However, there are exceptions for what they call 'good cause' situations - things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job duties or pay.
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Dana Doyle
•What counts as harassment? My supervisor has been really hostile and created a toxic environment but I don't know if that's legally considered harassment.
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Liam Duke
•Document everything - dates, witnesses, what was said or done. Washington ESD looks for patterns of behavior that would make any reasonable person want to quit.
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Zoe Papadakis
Before you quit, try talking to Washington ESD or getting advice from someone who knows the system. I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) when I had questions about my claim situation. They actually got me through to a real ESD agent who explained my options. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out before you make any big decisions.
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ThunderBolt7
•Never heard of that service but sounds useful. So hard to get through to ESD by phone normally.
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Yuki Watanabe
•Thanks, I'll look into that. I really need to talk to someone who knows the rules before I do anything.
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Ethan Taylor
Just a heads up - if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about this stuff, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach a real person at ESD. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.
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Yuki Ito
•Is that legit? I've been trying to call ESD for weeks about my claim status.
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Ethan Taylor
•Yeah it's real. They basically handle the calling for you and get you connected to an actual ESD agent. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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CosmicCruiser
i quit my last job and got denied immediately. took forever to appeal and still lost. probably better to try to get fired instead if you can
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Anastasia Fedorov
•That's terrible advice. Getting yourself fired for cause could hurt you even more with future employers.
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CosmicCruiser
•just saying what worked for my cousin, dont shoot the messenger
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Mikayla Davison
I quit my job last year due to harassment and got approved for unemployment after adjudication. It took about 6 weeks though and I had to provide a ton of documentation. Washington ESD will investigate your claim thoroughly.
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Felicity Bud
•6 weeks?? How did you survive financially during that time?
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Mikayla Davison
•It was rough. I had some savings and picked up odd jobs. The backpay was nice when it finally came through though.
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Manny Lark
You need to be really careful about this. I quit my last job thinking I had good cause and Washington ESD denied my claim. Had to go through a whole appeal process that took months.
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Dana Doyle
•Did you end up winning the appeal? What kind of documentation did you need?
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Manny Lark
•Yeah I eventually won but it was a nightmare. Needed witness statements, emails, anything proving the work environment was intolerable.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
You really need to be careful about quitting. Washington ESD is pretty strict about voluntary quits. Even if you think you have good cause, they might not see it that way. Have you tried talking to HR or filing a formal complaint first?
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Keisha Brown
•I haven't gone to HR yet because my manager is buddy-buddy with the HR director. I don't think it would help and might make things worse.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•I understand that situation, but Washington ESD will want to see that you tried to resolve the issue before quitting. Document that you felt you couldn't go to HR and why.
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Tami Morgan
BE VERY CAREFUL! I quit my job thinking I had good cause and Washington ESD denied my claim. Now I'm appealing but it's been 3 months with no income. You really need to be 100% sure you meet their criteria before quitting. Maybe try talking to your manager about the scheduling issues first?
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Jade Lopez
•Did you have any documentation of your issues? What reason did they give for denying you?
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Tami Morgan
•They said I didn't exhaust all reasonable alternatives before quitting. I should have gone to HR or given my employer a chance to fix the problems.
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Carmen Lopez
be careful about quitting - if ESD doesn't think you had good cause you'll be disqualified and might have to pay back benefits. The burden of proof is on you to show why you HAD to quit.
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NebulaNova
•What happens if I get disqualified? Can I appeal that decision?
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Mateo Hernandez
•Yes you can appeal within 30 days of the disqualification notice. You'll get a hearing where you can present your evidence and explain why you quit.
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Sara Unger
Before you quit, try talking to HR or filing a complaint if your company has those procedures. Washington ESD wants to see that you tried to resolve the situation first. Also consider talking to an employment lawyer - some offer free consultations.
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Justin Trejo
•We don't really have HR, it's a small company. The owner is friends with my manager so I don't think complaining would help.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•Document everything anyway. Keep a log of incidents with dates and times. If you do quit, this will be crucial for your unemployment claim.
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Ethan Wilson
If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to get clarification on your specific situation, I had luck using Claimyr.com - they help you get through to actual agents. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Nia Thompson
•Is that one of those services that charges you? I'm already tight on money.
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Ethan Wilson
•Yeah there's a fee but honestly it was worth it to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD instead of getting hung up on repeatedly. Saved me days of frustration.
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Jamal Edwards
THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST WORKERS! I've seen people get denied for the most ridiculous reasons. They make it nearly impossible to prove 'good cause' and then when you appeal they take forever to respond. Meanwhile you're broke and can't pay rent!
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Mei Chen
•I get the frustration but some people do win their appeals. It's not hopeless.
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Jamal Edwards
•Yeah SOME people win after months of fighting and stress. System shouldn't be this hard to navigate.
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Sean Doyle
You should try reaching Washington ESD to discuss your specific situation before making any decisions. The phone lines are always busy though - I've had success using Claimyr to get through to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com, they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Chloe Anderson
•Never heard of that service before. Does it actually work to get through to Washington ESD?
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Sean Doyle
•Yeah, it helped me get through when I was stuck in adjudication. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Giovanni Mancini
If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about this, I used claimyr.com recently and it actually worked. They have a system that calls and waits on hold for you, then connects you to an agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than spending hours on hold yourself.
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Mei Lin
•That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?
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Giovanni Mancini
•I'm not sure about the cost but it was worth it to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD. Way less frustrating than the regular phone system.
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NebulaNinja