Can you quit and file for unemployment benefits in Washington - what are the rules?
I'm really confused about this whole situation. My job has gotten unbearable - toxic management, unsafe working conditions, and they've cut my hours from 40 to 15 per week. I want to quit but I'm not sure if I can still get unemployment benefits afterward. Does anyone know the Washington ESD rules about quitting and still being eligible for UI? I've heard conflicting things from friends and I can't get through to anyone at Washington ESD to ask directly.
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Evelyn Rivera
Generally speaking, if you voluntarily quit your job you won't qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington. However, there are some exceptions - if you can prove you had 'good cause' to quit, you might still be eligible. Good cause includes things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job that weren't part of your original agreement.
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Kolton Murphy
•What kind of documentation would I need to prove unsafe working conditions? I've been taking photos of some stuff but not sure if that's enough.
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Evelyn Rivera
•Photos are a good start. You'd also want any written complaints you filed, witness statements from coworkers, safety violation reports, anything in writing. The more documentation the better for your case.
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Julia Hall
I quit my job last year and still got unemployment, but I had to go through adjudication first. It took forever though - like 6 weeks before they made a decision. The key is having really solid proof that you had no choice but to quit.
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Kolton Murphy
•Six weeks?? I can't wait that long without income. Did you have to do anything special during the adjudication process?
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Julia Hall
•I had to submit all my documentation and wait. I tried calling Washington ESD a million times but could never get through. Finally used some service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to an agent - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.
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Arjun Patel
The reduction in hours you mentioned could actually be important here. If your employer significantly reduced your hours, that might qualify as 'constructive dismissal' rather than voluntary quitting. Washington ESD looks at whether a reasonable person would have felt they had no choice but to leave.
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Kolton Murphy
•That's interesting - going from 40 hours to 15 is a huge cut. Should I mention that specifically when I file my claim?
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Arjun Patel
•Absolutely. Make sure to document the hour reduction with pay stubs or schedule changes. That's exactly the kind of thing that could help your case.
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Jade Lopez
•My cousin went through something similar and Washington ESD approved her claim because of hour cuts. It's not automatic though - you still have to prove it.
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Tony Brooks
honestly the whole system is rigged against workers. they make it so hard to prove 'good cause' that most people just give up. ive seen people with legitimate safety concerns get denied because they didnt have enough paperwork
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Kolton Murphy
•That's what I'm worried about. I don't have a ton of written documentation, mostly just the photos and some text messages complaining to friends.
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Evelyn Rivera
•Text messages can actually be useful evidence if they show the timeline of problems. Don't discount them entirely.
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Ella rollingthunder87
Wait, are we talking about regular UI or standby? Because the rules are different...
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Kolton Murphy
•I think just regular unemployment benefits? I'm not sure what standby is.
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Arjun Patel
•Standby is for temporary layoffs when you expect to be called back. This sounds like regular UI since you're planning to quit permanently.
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Evelyn Rivera
One more thing to consider - have you tried talking to your employer about the issues first? Washington ESD will often ask if you attempted to resolve the problems before quitting. Having a paper trail of trying to fix things can strengthen your case.
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Kolton Murphy
•I did send an email to HR about the safety issues a few weeks ago but never got a response. Would that count?
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Evelyn Rivera
•Yes, that email to HR is exactly what you want. Keep a copy of it and any other attempts to address the problems through proper channels.
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Jade Lopez
my brother quit his job and filed anyway figuring he had nothing to lose. turns out he got approved after like 2 months of back and forth with washington esd. sometimes its worth trying even if youre not 100% sure
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Kolton Murphy
•What was his situation? Similar to mine or something different?
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Jade Lopez
•his manager was harassing him and making racist comments. he documented everything and eventually got approved for good cause
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Julia Hall
Just want to mention again - if you do file and it goes to adjudication, getting through to Washington ESD by phone is nearly impossible. That Claimyr service I mentioned saved me so much hassle. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they basically help you get through to an actual person at Washington ESD.
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Tony Brooks
•sounds like another way to make money off desperate people tbh
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Julia Hall
•I was skeptical too but it actually worked. I'd been trying to call for weeks and getting nowhere. Sometimes you gotta do what works.
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Kolton Murphy
Thanks everyone for all the advice. I think I'm going to document everything I can over the next week or two, then maybe talk to a lawyer before I make any final decisions. The hour cut plus the safety issues might give me a decent case.
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Arjun Patel
•That sounds like a smart approach. Having legal advice before you quit could be really valuable.
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Evelyn Rivera
•Good plan. Make sure to keep documenting everything that happens between now and when you decide.
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Yara Campbell
just fyi the washington esd website has a whole section about good cause reasons for quitting. might be worth reading through that before you make your decision
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Kolton Murphy
•Oh good idea, I'll check that out. I've been to the website but didn't see that section.
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Jade Lopez
whatever you decide make sure you file your claim right away after you quit. theres like a waiting period and delays just make everything worse
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Kolton Murphy
•How soon after quitting should I file? Like the same day or is there a waiting period?
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Arjun Patel
•File as soon as possible after your last day of work. There's a one-week waiting period built into the system, but that starts from when you file your claim.
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Isaac Wright
I quit my job three years ago for similar reasons and got denied. Had to appeal and everything. The whole process was a nightmare but I eventually won. Just be prepared for it to take a while.
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Kolton Murphy
•How long did the appeal process take? And did you represent yourself or get help?
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Isaac Wright
•Took about 4 months total including the initial denial. I represented myself but wish I'd gotten legal help from the start.
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Evelyn Rivera
One last piece of advice - if you do quit and file for UI, be completely honest on your application about why you left. Don't try to make it sound like something it wasn't. Washington ESD will contact your employer and any inconsistencies will hurt your case.
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Kolton Murphy
•That's a good point. I was wondering if I should frame it a certain way but honesty is probably the best policy.
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Arjun Patel
•Definitely be honest. The adjudication process involves getting both sides of the story, so any inconsistencies will be caught.
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Maya Diaz
ugh this whole thread is making me anxious about my own job situation. why is everything so complicated with unemployment??
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Tony Brooks
•because the system is designed to make it hard for workers to get benefits. its all about protecting employers
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Evelyn Rivera
•The rules exist to prevent fraud, but I agree they can be overly complicated for legitimate cases.
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Tami Morgan
If your hours got cut that dramatically, you might also qualify for partial unemployment benefits while you're still working the reduced hours. Something to consider before you quit entirely.
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Kolton Murphy
•Oh wow, I didn't even think about that option. Can you get partial benefits while still employed?
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Tami Morgan
•Yes, if your hours or wages were reduced through no fault of your own, you can file for partial UI. Might be worth exploring before you quit.
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Julia Hall
Just want to echo what others said about Claimyr one more time - if you end up needing to talk to Washington ESD during this process, it's seriously worth checking out. The phone system is impossible otherwise. I probably called 200+ times before finding that service.
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Kolton Murphy
•200 times?? That's insane. I'll definitely keep that option in mind if I need to talk to someone.
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Rami Samuels
good luck with whatever you decide op. unemployment stuff is stressful enough without having to deal with a terrible job on top of it
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Kolton Murphy
•Thanks, I really appreciate all the help from everyone. This thread has been super informative.
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Haley Bennett
This thread should be pinned or something. So much good info about quitting and UI eligibility that I've never seen explained this clearly anywhere else.
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Arjun Patel
•These situations come up a lot. Always good to have the information out there for people who need it.
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Kolton Murphy
Update: I talked to a lawyer today and they said my case sounds pretty strong given the hour reduction and safety issues. Going to document everything for another week then probably give my notice. Thanks again everyone!
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Evelyn Rivera
•That's great news! Sounds like you're taking all the right steps.
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Julia Hall
•Awesome! Hope everything works out for you. And remember about Claimyr if you need to reach Washington ESD during the process.
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Jade Lopez
•nice! keep us posted on how it goes
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