Can you get unemployment when you get fired in Washington?

That's a relief to hear. They did give me a couple warnings but I was trying my best. Should I mention the warnings when I file my claim?

Be honest about everything when you file. Washington ESD will investigate and contact your employer anyway. Better to be upfront than have them find out later.

How long did the whole process take for you? I'm worried about the gap in income.

Took about 3 weeks total but I had to go through adjudication. Worth it though - got backpay for the waiting period.

This is exactly what I needed to know. They said I wasn't meeting sales targets but I was trying. That shouldn't count as misconduct right?

Correct - not meeting performance standards when you're making a good faith effort is not misconduct. Document everything you can remember about your termination.

What if they fired you for attendance issues though? I've been wondering about my own situation.

Never heard of that before. How does it work exactly?

You just give them your info and they call Washington ESD repeatedly until they get through, then conference you in. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Super helpful when you need to talk to someone about your claim.

That actually sounds really useful. I've been trying to call for days about my own claim.

That sounds terrible. Did you try appealing?

Yeah I'm in the appeal process now. Have a hearing next month. The whole thing is a nightmare.

Insubordination cases can be tricky. It depends on what exactly happened and how it was documented. Don't give up on the appeal.

Good for you! Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for a decision.

Yes definitely keep filing weekly. If you get approved you'll get backpay for those weeks.

That's frustrating. Make sure you document your side of the story and any witnesses if this goes to adjudication.

Good idea. I do have a couple coworkers who saw what really happened.

Try that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. Seriously saved my sanity when I couldn't get through.

Might have to look into that. This is ridiculous.

Yes, you still need to meet the work search requirements once your claim is approved. You need to make 3 job contacts per week and register with WorkSource.

Thanks, wasn't sure about that part.

That's encouraging. How long did it take to get approved?

About 2 weeks. No adjudication needed in my case.

Good to know. How long do you have to file an appeal?

You have 30 days from the date of the determination letter to file an appeal.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr to get through to someone at Washington ESD. Being able to actually talk to a person and get updates on your claim status is huge.

Yeah I'm definitely going to check that out. Thanks for the tip.

That sounds like it would be considered a minor infraction, not misconduct. Especially if it was a first offense.

It was my first time doing anything wrong too. Fingers crossed.

Good point. I should probably write down everything I remember about my termination while it's still fresh.

Exactly. Details matter if this goes to adjudication or appeal.

The benefit amount is the same regardless of how you became unemployed. It's based on your previous earnings, not the reason for separation.

Oh that's good to know. I was worried they'd give me less because I got fired.

Yeah I definitely plan to be completely honest. No point in lying about it.

Smart approach. Lying on the application is a surefire way to get denied.

That's surprising. I would think safety violations would count as misconduct.

I think it was because he wasn't properly trained on the equipment. Employer's fault more than his.

My manager did kind of hint at that actually. Said I probably wouldn't qualify for anything.

They're probably just trying to discourage you from filing. Don't listen to them.

What's the difference exactly?

For' cause means misconduct or serious rule 'violations. Without' cause is more like layoffs or performance issues. Without cause is much easier to getbenefits.

You're absolutely right. I'm glad I filed when I did. Now just playing the waiting game.

Hope it works out for you! Keep us posted on how it goes.