Can you still receive Washington ESD unemployment if you get fired?

That's a relief to hear. How do I know if what happened counts as misconduct or just performance issues?

Misconduct usually involves willful violations of company policy, theft, harassment, etc. Poor performance or inability to meet job requirements typically doesn't disqualify you from benefits. Since you mentioned no formal warnings, that works in your favor.

How long did that process take? I need to start getting benefits as soon as possible.

It took about 3 weeks for them to make a decision on my case. During that time my claim was in adjudication while they investigated.

How much does something like that cost? I'm already tight on money.

It's worth it when you consider how much time you save not sitting on hold for hours. Way better than the stress of trying to get through on your own.

Never heard of this but might be worth looking into. The Washington ESD phone system is absolutely terrible.

That's not accurate. While the system has issues, most legitimate claims do get approved. Being negative doesn't help anyone.

Easy for you to say. I've been fighting Washington ESD for months over a wrongful denial.

I'll do that today. Should I mention that I think the firing was unfair or just stick to the facts?

Stick to facts. Be honest about what your employer told you but don't editorialize. Washington ESD will investigate and make their own determination based on the evidence.

That gives me some hope. Did he have to do anything special during the process?

just had to keep filing his weekly claims even while it was under review

Should I get some kind of written statement from my employer about why I was fired?

You can request documentation but they're not required to provide it. Washington ESD will contact them directly during their investigation. Focus on filing your initial claim first.

This is good advice. I made the mistake of not documenting everything when I got fired and it made the adjudication process more complicated.

How did you prove your case to Washington ESD?

I provided medical documentation and explained the circumstances honestly. They interviewed both me and my former employer before making their decision.

Good to know about the back pay. I was worried about missing out on benefits during the review period.

Yeah definitely keep filing. I almost gave up during my adjudication but glad I stuck with it.

Thanks for the tip. I'm definitely going to need to stay in contact with them during this process.

Is that service legitimate? Seems too good to be true.

Yeah it's legit. They just help you get through to actual Washington ESD agents faster. Still dealing with the real state employees, just without the endless hold times.

Absolutely, I plan to be completely honest. Just nervous about the whole process.

Honesty is definitely the best policy with unemployment claims. Lying can result in overpayment demands and penalties.

It's so stressful not knowing when or if the benefits will come through. Hope yours gets approved soon.

Thanks, same to you. At least we're not alone in dealing with this bureaucratic mess.

That makes sense. I'll write down exactly what my manager said during the termination meeting.

Good advice. The more factual and less emotional your claim appears, the better.

That's helpful context. Performance issues seem to be treated differently than policy violations.

Exactly. Misconduct has to be willful and work-related. Just not being good at your job isn't usually considered misconduct.

This distinction is really important. Wish more people understood it before panicking about their eligibility.

Will do. Thanks for all the advice everyone. Feeling much more hopeful about this situation.

Good luck with your claim! Keep us posted on how it goes.