Do I qualify for Washington ESD unemployment if I quit my job?

It's really hard to get unemployment if you quit voluntarily. Washington ESD usually only approves it for 'good cause' reasons like unsafe working conditions or harassment.

Yes, Washington ESD does allow unemployment benefits if you quit for good cause. The key is having documentation of the hostile work environment. You'll need to prove the conditions were so bad that any reasonable person would have quit. Keep all your records of incidents, emails, witness statements, etc.

You CAN get unemployment if you quit for good cause, but you need to prove it. Washington ESD looks for things like harassment, unsafe working conditions, significant changes to your job duties, or health issues. The key is documenting everything before you quit.

I quit my job last year due to harassment and got approved for UI benefits after going through adjudication. The process took about 3 weeks but they approved it once I provided all my documentation. Make sure you have everything organized before you file.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to get clarity on your specific situation, I used a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really helped me avoid the endless busy signals.

BE CAREFUL - just because you think you have good cause doesn't mean Washington ESD will agree. I quit what I thought was a toxic job and got denied. Had to appeal and it took months to get approved. The bar is pretty high for good cause quits.

The Washington ESD website has a whole section about good cause for quitting. Some examples include unsafe working conditions, harassment, significant changes to your job duties, or not getting paid. But you need solid proof for any of these.

I had to quit my last job due to harassment and got approved for UI benefits, but it took forever to get through to someone at Washington ESD to explain my situation. The phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. I finally used this service called Claimyr that helped me 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.

you need to be really careful about this. if you quit without good cause they'll disqualify you and you won't get anything. have you tried talking to HR first?

whatever you do dont just walk out without notice that will hurt your case big time!! give proper notice in writing and explain your reasons clearly

Another thing to consider - even if you qualify for unemployment after quitting for good cause, there might be a waiting period before benefits start. Plan your finances accordingly because you might not get your first payment for several weeks.

I tried to quit for good cause last year and it was a nightmare. My employer fought the claim and said I was lying about the harassment. Make sure you have witnesses or other evidence besides just your word against theirs.

Also want to mention that Claimyr helped me understand the adjudication process when I was going through my good cause quit claim. Sometimes talking to an actual Washington ESD agent makes all the difference in understanding what you need to do.

The Washington ESD website has a whole section about voluntary quit situations. Good cause includes things like domestic violence, stalking, health issues that make it impossible to do your job, or workplace harassment that the employer won't address. You have to show you made reasonable efforts to keep working before quitting.

One more tip - if you do quit and file for unemployment, continue looking for work and documenting your job search from day one. Washington ESD requires you to be actively seeking employment even during adjudication.

this happened to my sister last year and she got denied at first but won on appeal. the key is having evidence that you tried to fix the situation first

honestly the whole system is stacked against workers. even when you have legitimate reasons to quit they make you jump through hoops to prove it. but if you have solid documentation you should be ok

Just to be clear on Washington ESD policy - good cause for quitting includes situations where continuing to work would be detrimental to your health, safety, or well-being. Harassment and hostile work environment can qualify, but you need to show you tried to resolve it first.

I quit my job for good cause 6 months ago and got benefits but it took forever to get approved. The adjudication process was like 5 weeks and I almost ran out of money waiting. Make sure you have savings to cover the gap.

same boat here - thinking about quitting due to workplace harassment but scared about the unemployment situation. thanks for asking this question OP

Final thought - consider consulting with an employment attorney before you quit if the harassment is severe. They can advise you on both the legal aspects and how it might affect your unemployment claim. Some offer free consultations.

Quick question - does anyone know if you can still get unemployment if you quit but your employer doesn't contest it? Or do they automatically investigate all quit claims?

Before you quit, send an email to your manager and/or owner documenting the issues and asking them to address the toxic behavior. Keep a copy of that email. If they don't respond or refuse to fix it, that helps your case for good cause.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST WORKERS! They make it so hard to prove good cause that most people just give up. I quit my job for harassment and they denied me initially even though I had tons of documentation.

Another thing to consider - if you quit for good cause, you still have to meet all the other requirements like actively looking for work and being available for work. And you'll probably have to go through adjudication which can take weeks.

For anyone still having trouble getting through to Washington ESD about their specific situation, I really recommend checking out Claimyr. The video demo shows exactly how it works and it's so much easier than spending hours on hold.

Update from my experience - I quit for good cause last month and just got approved! The key was having detailed documentation and a clear timeline of events. Don't give up if it takes a while to process.

remember to keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit to Washington ESD. they sometimes lose documents and you'll need to resubmit. learned this the hard way

honestly if you're dealing with verbal abuse and a hostile work environment, you might want to consider if this is affecting your health. Medical documentation of stress or anxiety caused by the workplace can strengthen your good cause claim

This thread has been super helpful. I'm in a similar situation and feeling more confident about my options now. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

You know what, I was in a similar situation and kept putting off dealing with the toxic manager hoping it would get better. It never did and I ended up having a breakdown. Sometimes you just have to prioritize your mental health.

One more thing to keep in mind - even if you have good cause to quit, you might face a waiting period before benefits start. Washington ESD sometimes imposes waiting periods even for approved good cause quits, so make sure you have some savings to cover bills.

calling washington esd is a nightmare though. ive been trying for days to get through about my own claim issue

Whatever you decide, make sure you apply for unemployment immediately after your last day of work. Don't wait thinking you need to have all your documentation perfect first - you can provide additional evidence during the adjudication process.

i quit my job last month for similar reasons and just got approved! the key was showing that i gave my employer a chance to fix the hostile work environment and they refused. documented everything in emails

also remember that if you quit for good cause you still have to do all the job search requirements. washington esd requires 3 job search activities per week minimum

Final advice - keep detailed records of EVERYTHING. Every conversation with your manager, every incident, every email, every witness. If you end up having to appeal a denial, you'll need all of this documentation to prove your case.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Toxic workplaces are terrible for your health and sometimes you just have to get out. The unemployment process can be frustrating but don't let that stop you from leaving if you need to.

One last thing - if your employer contests your unemployment claim (which they probably will if you quit), you'll definitely want to have good phone access to Washington ESD. That Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier might be worth looking into if you end up in a dispute.

this whole thread has been really helpful. im in a similar situation and didnt know about the good cause exceptions. going to start documenting everything now