Company denying Washington ESD unemployment claim - why would they fight it?

Companies contest unemployment claims to keep their unemployment tax rates lower. Every approved claim against them increases what they pay into the system. It's frustrating but very common, especially with larger employers who have HR departments that automatically contest everything.

same thing happened to me last year! my company said i quit when i was actually fired. took forever to get it resolved through washington esd

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to explain your situation, I used a service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a real person. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really helped when I needed to talk to someone about my contested claim.

The Washington ESD adjudication process for contested claims usually takes 3-4 weeks. You should receive a questionnaire asking for your version of events. Be very detailed and factual. If you have any witnesses to the layoff conversation or emails mentioning budget cuts, include that information. The adjudicator will review both sides and make a determination.

This is exactly why the unemployment system is broken!!! Companies can just LIE and tie up your benefits for weeks while you struggle to pay bills. Meanwhile their lawyers are getting paid to fight every single claim. It's disgusting.

wait so companies actually benefit from denying unemployment claims? i thought unemployment was paid by the government

I work in HR and I'll be honest - some companies have policies to contest every single unemployment claim regardless of circumstances. It's terrible but it happens. The good news is that if you were truly laid off for budget reasons and have documentation, Washington ESD will usually side with you.

Something similar happened to my brother except his company waited until he'd been getting benefits for like 6 weeks then suddenly contested it. Had to pay everything back while they investigated. Nightmare.

The key thing is to respond quickly to any Washington ESD requests for information. Don't let deadlines pass because that can hurt your case even if you're in the right. Also keep detailed records of everything - dates, times, who you talked to, what was said.

If Washington ESD rules against you initially, don't give up! You can appeal and request a hearing. Sometimes the appeal process is more thorough than the initial adjudication.

This whole situation is why I always document everything at work now. Screenshots of emails, written summaries of meetings, anything that might be relevant later. You never know when your employer might try to rewrite history.

Had a friend who went through this with a big retail chain. They contested every unemployment claim as a matter of policy. She had to get her former supervisor to write a letter confirming she was laid off, not fired for misconduct. That finally resolved it.

When I had to deal with a contested claim, I found that calling Washington ESD early in the morning gave me the best chance of getting through. But honestly, after spending hours on hold multiple times, I ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Saved me so much time and frustration.

Just want to say hang in there OP. I know this is stressful but most of these contested claims get resolved in favor of the worker when there's clear documentation of a layoff. Companies bank on people giving up or not fighting back.

One more thing - make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while this is being adjudicated. If you win the appeal, you'll get back pay for all the weeks you filed. If you don't file, you lose those weeks even if you win.

Companies also contest claims because they know most people won't fight back due to time, stress, or not knowing the process. Don't let them count on your giving up. You have rights and documentation on your side.