Do you qualify for Washington ESD unemployment if you are fired from your job?

Yes, you can potentially qualify for unemployment even if you were fired, but it depends on the reason. Washington ESD will look at whether you were terminated for "misconduct" or not. Performance issues generally don't count as misconduct unless you were willfully neglecting your duties.

File your claim ASAP! Even if Washington ESD initially denies it, you can appeal. I got fired for being late too many times and still got approved after explaining my transportation issues.

I had a similar situation and used Claimyr to get through to an Washington ESD agent to discuss my case. The website is claimyr.com and they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really helped me understand what information Washington ESD needed for my termination case.

The key things Washington ESD looks at for fired employees: 1) Was it willful misconduct? 2) Did you violate company policy knowingly? 3) Were you given warnings and chance to improve? Performance issues usually don't qualify as misconduct.

ugh this is exactly why i hate at-will employment... they can just make up reasons to fire you

Make sure you file your initial claim within the first week after termination. Even if Washington ESD needs to investigate, you want that effective date to be as early as possible. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file.

I got fired from my last job for "attitude problems" which was really just me asking questions about unsafe working conditions. Still got approved for unemployment because Washington ESD said it wasn't misconduct.

Pro tip: Start documenting everything about your termination now while it's fresh. Write down exactly what they told you, who was present, what reasons they gave. If it goes to adjudication you'll need those details.

My claim got stuck in adjudication for 5 weeks after being fired. Couldn't get through to Washington ESD on the phone at all until someone recommended Claimyr. Finally talked to an agent who explained they were waiting for my employer to respond to their request for information.

The worst part about getting fired is the uncertainty. At least with unemployment you know you'll have something coming in while you job search. File that claim!

Washington ESD misconduct standard is pretty high - they're looking for things like theft, violence, repeated violations after warnings. Poor performance rarely rises to that level unless you were deliberately sabotaging work.

just file the claim and see what happens... worst case they say no and you appeal

Remember that even if your employer contests your claim, Washington ESD makes the final decision based on the facts. Employers contest claims all the time to avoid higher unemployment tax rates, but it doesn't mean they'll win.

I was fired for "not being a good fit" which is basically nothing. Got approved for unemployment no problem. Performance issues are usually not misconduct unless you were being deliberately bad at your job.

One more thing - make sure you're actively job searching once you start collecting benefits. Washington ESD requires work search activities and they do audit them randomly. Keep good records of your applications.

Been through this process twice - once for being fired, once for layoff. Being fired actually wasn't much different in terms of getting approved. Washington ESD cares more about WHY you were fired than the fact that you were fired.

File online at esd.wa.gov as soon as possible. The sooner you file, the sooner your waiting week starts. Even if there's an issue, you want that claim date to be early.

Update us on how it goes! I think you'll be fine based on what you've described. Performance issues rarely count as misconduct for Washington ESD purposes.

If you do run into issues reaching Washington ESD during the process, I can't recommend Claimyr enough. Made such a difference in getting my questions answered quickly instead of calling dozens of times.

Thanks everyone! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I'm going to file my claim tonight and stop worrying about it so much. Sounds like I have a good chance of getting approved.